Mohamed Salah has set in motion the countdown to his departure from Liverpool by confirming this week that the current season will be his last with the club. The 33-year-old Egyptian international announced his decision in a personal statement shared on social media, saying he will leave as a free agent this summer, with the full agreement and blessing of the club. His contract, which runs until 2026 and is worth around £500,000 per week, will not be activated for its final year.
The career Salah has enjoyed at Liverpool goes far beyond what any reasonable person could have predicted when he arrived in the summer of 2017. Bought for £34 million from Roma, he went on to score 255 goals in 435 appearances, making him the club’s third-highest scorer in all of its 134 years. He collected four Premier League Golden Boots, three PFA Player of the Year awards, and a haul of team trophies that includes the Champions League, two league titles, and a host of domestic cup successes.
In his farewell message, Salah was generous and genuine. He spoke of Liverpool not as a job or a career stop, but as a home that had shaped him profoundly. He thanked the supporters for their loyalty and warmth, and he described the years spent at Anfield as the best of his life. His closing statement, borrowing from the words of the club’s beloved anthem, was a moving conclusion that many fans found impossible to watch without emotion.
The season’s complications have been well publicised. In December, Salah publicly challenged his relationship with head coach Arne Slot and accused the club of using him unfairly as a target for the team’s poor results. He was excluded from a high-profile Champions League fixture before being reintegrated. The quality he showed on his return — most dramatically in a stunning goal against Galatasaray that made him Africa’s leading Champions League scorer — reaffirmed that he remains among the elite even as he approaches his mid-thirties.
Captain Robertson described Salah as setting standards that others should aspire to, praising not just his football but his character and dedication over nine shared years. His agent has confirmed no destination for next season, and the question of where Salah goes will be one of the summer’s most compelling storylines. For Liverpool, the task of replacing him — in goals, in inspiration, and in the hearts of supporters — may prove the most challenging football challenge the club has faced in years.