Mohamed Salah’s recent public complaint that the Reds have been “under the bus” has forced a swift reassessment of his standing at Liverpool. The club are reported to still want to keep the forward, but the situation has accelerated into something described internally as bewildering.

Salah rarely addresses the media, yet similar pressure was applied last season during talks that eventually produced a two-year deal thought to be worth more than £41 million ($54.8 million). His current contract has around 18 months to run and the club viewed his absence from the starting lineup as temporary.

The Athletic has reported that the perception among other clubs and agents, including some with “direct knowledge” of Liverpool, is that Salah either wants to force a transfer or is applying pressure on Slot, who is already feeling scrutiny because of poor results this season. There is an acknowledgement inside Liverpool that a continued hardline stance from Salah could render his place at the club untenable if no resolution is reached.

For now the ball is said to be in Salah’s court, though his immediate focus may turn to international duty as he prepares to join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. Jamie Carragher has pointed out that Salah is searching for his first international title.

Reports suggest Salah’s outside options are limited. Saudi clubs were keen before he committed his future to Liverpool in April, and Al Hilal or Al Ittihad are presented as more plausible Saudi destinations than Al Nassr. Al Hilal could offer a reunion with Darwin Núñez. “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure Salah is [a target],” SPL chief executive Omar Mugharbel confirmed this week.

Major League Soccer interest has been reported, though any move there would require an available Designated Player slot. Inter Miami are thought to have plans for theirs, while Chicago Fire and San Diego FC have been mentioned as more feasible destinations. Leaving Europe would mean departing the highest competitive level of club football, a significant consideration for a 33-year-old player still in good physical condition.

Saudi Pro League chief executive Omar Mugharbel has confirmed that Mohamed Salah is a transfer target for clubs in Saudi Arabia as the forward navigates a difficult period at Liverpool. Mugharbel said at the World Football Summit in Riyadh: “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure Salah is one of [the targets].”

The comments arrive after a public exchange between Salah and his club following a sequence of team selections. Having been dropped for three league games in a row, Salah said he had been “thrown under the bus” and revealed he had told his parents to come and see the Premier League champions take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, hinting it could be his last appearance at Anfield.

The situation coincides with Salah’s impending departure for the Africa Cup of Nations and the approaching January transfer window. Those factors, combined with his form this season, make his position the subject of transfer speculation. Liverpool have won just two of their last 10 Premier League games and the manager, Arne Slot, benched the reigning PFA Player of the Year for three consecutive fixtures as he sought to arrest the club’s slump.

Slot then omitted the 33-year-old from his squad for Liverpool’s Champions League meeting with Inter, a game the 20-time English champions won 1–0 thanks to a late penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Interest from Saudi clubs has been evident before. Al Hilal and Al Ittihad have been linked with Salah, and Al Ittihad submitted a £150 million ($200 million) bid for the forward in the summer of 2023, which Liverpool rejected. With Karim Benzema’s contract at Al Ittihad set to expire at the end of the season, the defending Saudi champions may have reason to revisit previous interest if they choose to pursue another high-profile signing.

The public exchange between Jamie Carragher and Mohamed Salah took an unexpected turn when the pundit issued an apology after a period of sharp criticism. The row began with Salah predicting: “Tomorrow Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that’s fine,” and escalated when Carragher launched a stinging assessment of the forward and the situation around him.

The former England international criticised what he described as a sequence of remarks, calling them “disgraceful” and “choreographed.” He singled out the player’s defensive contributions and the impact on team-mates in harsh terms. “When we are talking about throwing people under the bus, he’s thrown every Liverpool right back under the bus for the eight years,” Carragher said of the defensively indifferent right winger. “Can you imagine playing behind him for eight years?”

Carragher also attacked the player’s wider reputation, adding: “You weren’t a big star before you came to Liverpool , you haven’t really won much for Egypt,” he scoffed. “No matter how big you are, you need help from your teammates, your manager and fans, it’s important that he remembers that.”

After 24 hours, Carragher returned to television and addressed the player directly. Looking down the lens of the camera in CBS Sports’ studio, Carragher said: “I apologise if I’ve upset you. I love you as a Liverpool player, but you just need to behave yourself off the pitch.”

The mood change coincided with Liverpool’s 1–0 win away to Inter in the absence of Salah. Carragher’s reaction to the result was effusive and heavily managerial in focus. “I was so desperate for Liverpool to win tonight, as I am every time they play, but more so for the manager for what he’s been through over the last few days,” the former centre back beamed.

“I don’t know him that well, have any real relationship with him, but he’s the Liverpool manager.

“We know what’s gone on and what was really telling was the supporters chanting his name in the first half when it was 0–0… they’re right behind their manager, even more so on the back of that result.

“It was a massive result, it’s a tough place to go and Liverpool needed that on the back of losing their last game at home in the Champions League to PSV .

“I’m happy for him more than anything. It’s been tough all season for him. As a manager, he has to do better in terms of getting more results with the squad of players he’s got, but that’s a huge result for him and the club. I’m over the moon for him.”