Danny Murphy: Mohamed Salah’s Dip in Form, Not Arne Slot’s Departure, Was the Real Reason He Left Liverpool

Mohamed Salah’s departure from Liverpool has continued to generate debate, and former Reds midfielder Danny Murphy has now offered his assessment — placing the blame squarely on form rather than managerial friction.

Speaking exclusively to GOAL, Murphy addressed speculation that Salah might have remained at Anfield had he been aware that Slot would be leaving the club. “I think the biggest impact on him leaving is his form,” Murphy said. “There’s always a chance if you have a much better relationship with a manager that you maybe would stay and try and recapture that form in the second season.”

Salah’s final chapter at Liverpool was defined by sharp contrasts. The Egyptian forward produced one of the finest individual campaigns of his career in 2024-25, scoring 34 goals, collecting a Premier League title winners’ medal, and claiming his third PFA Players’ Player of the Year award — a feat that earned him a new contract at the club. However, his output dropped considerably in the following season, resulting in spells on the bench and a public confrontation with the coaching staff, during which Salah expressed the view that he was being scapegoated for the team’s broader difficulties. The club subsequently confirmed he would be released from his contract in 2026, departing as a free agent.

Murphy acknowledged the tension between Salah and Slot but argued the situation would have been unavoidable under any manager. “The Slot factor is definitely there. We’re being naive if we don’t think it is,” he conceded. “But I’m not sure what manager really wouldn’t have been in the same predicament as Slot and having to drop him. If anything, I’d suggest that Slot left him in too long when he was struggling.”

The former midfielder also pointed to the mood among supporters during Salah’s difficult run of form, noting there had been calls from the fanbase for the player to be given a rest. “There was a cry from the fans to give him a breather and take him out of the firing line because he was struggling so much,” Murphy said. “So I’m not sure really, irrelevant of whether you get on with a manager, that any manager would have left him in. Therefore the problems would have started anyway.”

Murphy also suggested that Salah himself may have sensed that the time had come to move on. “I think he probably feels — we’ve all been there — where you can’t quite hit the levels you once did, so maybe it’s time to bow out before it gets worse.”

Salah ended his Liverpool career with 257 goals in 442 appearances across all competitions, making him the club’s all-time leading scorer. He joined the Merseyside club from AS Roma in the summer of 2017 and went on to win the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup during his time at Anfield. His legacy at the club is not in question, though the circumstances surrounding his exit have left room for reflection on what might have been.

Slot himself departed Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season. His tenure, which began after Jürgen Klopp’s departure in 2024, included the Premier League title in his debut campaign but ended with the club navigating a transitional period — one that coincided directly with Salah’s decline in influence. Liverpool are now searching for a replacement for the Egyptian forward as they look to reshape their attacking options ahead of the 2026-27 season.