Liverpool
Four priorities Liverpool must settle during the March international break
March break offers time to decide Slot’s future, cure late-game lapses and reshape Liverpool’s attack
Liverpool’s slump has been stark and the March international break is a rare window to arrest the slide. The reigning champions have lost momentum and face the risk of a wider collapse unless clear, decisive steps are taken during the pause.
First, clarity over the manager’s future is essential. Many argue the break is the practical moment to move on from Arne Slot. If the club intends to sack Slot, doing it early would allow a successor time to settle and restore confidence. In reality, a change this month looks unlikely. Slot is under pressure, but Liverpool typically avoid snap decisions on matters of this scale, with a review likely to be held in the summer. Whatever the outcome, the club must communicate its decision promptly to end the growing speculation.
Second, the tactical experiment that abandoned the 4-2-3-1 for a narrow two-striker system produced encouraging signs against Galatasaray. That approach was curtailed when Mohamed Salah suffered an injury that may leave him unable to return immediately after the break. In Salah’s absence, Cody Gakpo was moved into a central role alongside Hugo Ekitiké, but Gakpo’s form has been underwhelming. Slot appears hesitant to hand a major role to youngster Rio Ngumoha, despite the teenager looking increasingly ready, yet persisting with Gakpo while performances dip is unhelpful.
Third, the return of Alexander Isak offers a pathway to alter the attack, but expectations must be managed. As Slot has correctly warned, anybody expecting the Sweden international to return to top form immediately after so long on the sidelines is set to be sorely disappointed.
Finally, Liverpool’s late-game fragility is alarming. Never before had a Premier League team lost five games to goals in the 90th minute before this iteration of Liverpool. The team has looked vulnerable in the closing stages all season, a problem that could stem from fitness, mentality, or the relentless schedule. “I think you could see some of us were maybe a little bit tired,” Milos Kerkez admitted after the recent defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. The squad’s general wellbeing needs attention and the break is a chance to rest and regroup.
Liverpool
Agent Urges Caution Over Mohamed Salah’s Future as Injury and Form Shape Decisions
Abbas Issa warns “beware” of speculation over Salah’s future; injury and form will decide his next steps.
Ramy Abbas Issa has urged caution over speculation about Mohamed Salah’s next club, telling supporters to “beware” of unverified reports and stressing that the forward himself “not know” where he will be in 2026–27. The representative posted the warning on X shortly after Salah’s announcement and sought to curb early conjecture linking the player with the Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer, where MLS commissioner Don Garber has publicly opened the door to the U.S. top flight.
Before any decisions can be made, there are immediate concerns to resolve. Salah limped off against Galatasaray on March 18 with a muscular complaint and missed Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Brighton & Hove Albion the following weekend. Manager Arne Slot has been cautious on timelines, noting the physical specimen “can recover faster than other players” but offering no firm dates. The international break has provided Liverpool a buffer, yet it is not certain Salah will be ready to return immediately when club action resumes.
The coming fixtures are significant. Liverpool open April with an FA Cup quarterfinal against Manchester City before travelling to Paris for the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Paris Saint-Germain. It should not be forgotten that Liverpool beat the European champions at the Parc des Princes last season, though Salah struggled to get any loose piece of lint or a stray button, let alone any change, out of Nuno Mendes on that night.
Performance levels are another factor in any long-term choice. The forward, a Premier League Golden Boot holder, has endured what is described in this report as his worst campaign by some margin. He has been outscored by 42 players in the division this season, including both Everton strikers Thierno Barry and Beto. How Salah finishes the season, and the role of the impending World Cup, will inform where he chooses to play beyond 2025–26.
Liverpool
Liverpool team-mates pay tribute after Mohamed Salah announces exit
Liverpool team-mates paid tribute after Mohamed Salah announced his impending departure at Anfield.
Liverpool team-mates responded on social media after Mohamed Salah confirmed he will leave the club. Players posted messages and reposted his farewell video, using short tributes and longer reflections to mark his impending departure.
Ibrahima Konaté wrote on social media: “You are the best of the best my brother,” Ibrahima Konaté wrote . “Thank you for all the amazing moments we shared on and off the pitch.
“I wish you all the best in your next steps inshallah. KING.”
Left back Milos Kerkez also reposted Salah’s farewell video and used “King” to describe him. Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai both opted for “Legend.” Florian Wirtz reflected: “It was a pleasure till now.”
Joe Gomez, ninth on the list of players with the most appearances alongside Salah with 203, offered a longer tribute on his own account. “One of the greatest to ever wear the shirt,” he posted . “It’s been a pleasure having the countless hours watching your greatness first hand in so many ways. Everyone knows about your mentality and work ethic—the numbers just cement your legacy forever.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. I’ll always be grateful for our friendship over all these years. Can’t wait to see you celebrated until the very end.”
No player has played alongside Salah more than Andy Robertson. The left back leads the way with a whopping 338 appearances alongside the Egyptian, having joined from Hull City just three weeks after Salah’s arrival from Roma.
Robertson paid tribute in a message that began: “Mohamed, thank you,” he began .
“Nine of the best years of our lives with amazing memories on and off the pitch. Watching you become the best at what you do and become one of the best to ever have worn the Liverpool shirt has been a joy to watch and be part of.
“Your mentality is second to none and a lot of people could take note. You have pushed yourself every single day and always demanded more from yourself and others.
Liverpool
Mohamed Salah’s Trophies at Liverpool: A Complete Record
Mohamed Salah leaves Liverpool after nine seasons, departing with multiple major trophies. He leaves
Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the 2025–26 season after nine seasons at the club. His arrival in the summer of 2017 coincided with a dramatic reversal of Liverpool’s recent silverware drought. Liverpool hadn’t won a major trophy in five years when Salah joined the club in 2017 and the 2011–12 Carabao Cup represented the only major trophy the Reds had lifted over the last decade.
“The Egyptian King’s” mark on one of the biggest club’s in England will be everlasting, especially for the major trophies won during his time at the club. Here’s every major trophy Salah lifted during his time with the Reds.
In his second season at Anfield Salah played a central role as Liverpool won the Champions League in 2018–19. The Egyptian scored the opener in the final against Tottenham Hotspur, delivering a first major honor for him with the club. The campaign that followed produced Liverpool’s first Premier League title in club history in 2019–20; Salah contributed 19 goals and 10 assists across that season.
The 2019–20 period also brought continental and global honours: UEFA Super Cup 2019–20 and FIFA Club World Cup 2019–20. Domestically Salah completed the set of major trophies over subsequent seasons. He was part of the team that won the FA Cup in 2021–22 and twice lifted the Carabao Cup in 2021–22 and 2023–24, both occasions beating Chelsea at Wembley Stadium to claim the League Cup.
Salah returned to the summit of the Premier League in 2024–25, producing the most productive individual campaign of his Liverpool career with 29 goals and 18 assists as the Reds won the title again. Across his time at Liverpool he has collected eight major pieces of silverware; that total could increase if the Reds conquer either the FA Cup or the Champions League in what remains of 2025–26.
The list of Salah’s major honours at Liverpool reads: Champions League (2018–19), Premier League (2019–20, 2024–25), FA Cup (2021–22), Carabao Cup (2021–22, 2023–24), UEFA Super Cup (2019–20) and FIFA Club World Cup (2019–20).
