Mo Salah looks dejected as he is subbed off during Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on Thursday
Salah not happy at being taken off. Shaking his head as walked to bench. But 5 mins ago Klopp was screaming at him to track back & help out defensively, he was a long way off. Bit of a half hearted jog. Klopp turned to Ljinders almost straight away & they discussed replacing him
— Matt Critchley (@MattCritchley1) March 4, 2021
It’s not the first time this season that Mo Salah has looked a bit stroppy at being subbed off. Sometimes a player can be more frustrated with his own performance, but against Chelsea, Salah appeared to be pissed off with Jurgen Klopp’s decision to hook him.
For a while now, Salah has looked like a man who is not having fun and wants to be elsewhere. You can’t blame him, as Liverpool have lost five home games in a row and have no chance of defending the title. No one would enjoy that – the Premier League is a slog at the best of times. But with Mo, there have been whispers for a while that he wants a new challenge. Klopp has answered questions from journalists about Salah’s situation in December.
Highlights: Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea
Salah’s Liverpool contract runs until 2023 but I have these visions of him being announced at the Nou Camp this summer, grinning in his new Barcelona shirt. The thing is, he’s done so, so much for Liverpool in his relatively short time at the club, I’m sure their fans would permit him to seek fame and fortune in a different league.
It’s not as if Mo is having a bad season. Far from it, he’s one of the few Liverpool players who has stayed fit and in form. He’s the Premier League’s current top scorer, with 17 goals in 26 appearances, plus three assists. So he can do it in a faltering team as well as a dominant one.
I don’t know. Only Mo knows. But his body language says he would happily trade Merseyside for the warmth of Spain. We’ll see. Whatever happens next, his place in Liverpool’s hall of fame is assured.