Arne Slot’s insistence that the drama surrounding Mohamed Salah had been put to bed was undermined by a report which claimed that talks between the player’s representative and Liverpool were still planned this month. Salah only clouded the situation in more uncertainty with a cryptic social media post.
At the end of arguably the most testing week of his managerial career, Slot emerged with a vital Premier League victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. Salah returned from his exile to come off the bench in the first half and tee up Hugo Ekitiké’s second goal of the game, setting a new personal milestone on an afternoon of reconciliation.
Seven days earlier, Liverpool’s talisman had threatened to dismantle his illustrious history on Merseyside with a public tirade against the club and his manager. Slot dropped Salah for Tuesday’s trip to Milan before bringing him back into the fold following a heart-to-heart on Friday.
In the eyes of the Liverpool boss, the matter has been closed.
Slot: Salah Will Still Be a Liverpool Player in January
“For me there’s no issues to resolve,” Slot bluntly concluded. “He is the same as any other player. You talk to your players if you are happy or unhappy with things. There is nothing for me to talk about after what happened against Leeds after the game.”
The past week has been dominated by talk of a potential winter transfer for Salah, who is set to join up with Egypt ahead of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations. Slot needed just one word to answer the question of whether his winger would still be a Liverpool player upon his return from the continental tournament in January: “Yes.”
“He is a Liverpool player and when he is here I like to use him when we need him,” the Dutch boss added. “Today he didn’t start as he did for a few games before but in the one-and-a-half seasons before that he started almost every game. He had the performance like you would want him to give.
“He was close to another assist, he was shocked to see Virgil [van Dijk] next to him in that long sprint at the end, he was close to scoring when Fede [Chiesa] assisted him. He was a threat which is very important.”
‘Talks Are Expected’—Report
Slot would not reveal the details of his discussion with Salah this week. “I never speak about what I talk about with players and I am not going to make an exception now but actions speak louder than words and he was in the squad again today,” the former Feyenoord coach huffed.
“When I had to make my first substitution I brought him in and he performed as every fan wanted him to, including me, would like him to perform.”
Salah and Slot may have done their talking, but The Guardian report that more high-level discussions have been planned. Salah’s representatives are expected to enter into a dialogue with those in Liverpool’s hierarchy regarding their client’s future while he is away on international duty.
One mildly impressive performance surely cannot erase the concerns over the ageing forward’s defensive output which have been raised throughout the season. Conversely, it remains to be seen whether Salah will readily accept having his untouchable status taken away. His actions after Saturday’s game didn’t exactly paint a clear picture of continuation.
Salah’s Emotional Interaction With Anfield
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) December 13, 2025
Before heading down the tunnel—where he joked with reporters that there would be no incendiary remarks this time—Salah basked in the applause of Anfield long after the final whistle.
Slot did his best to dismiss the significance of this action. “He wasn’t the only player who walked around the pitch thanking the fans,” the manager scoffed. “Our fans deserved that. Our players worked incredibly hard to keep a clean sheet and for the first time in months we had a bit of luck with that as well.”
However, Salah took the intriguing approach of posting the footage of this emotional exchange on his own social media platform. This was the game that, just one week earlier, he had teased to be his final Anfield appearance, inviting his family to Merseyside for the special occasion. All’s well that ends well? Only time will tell.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mohamed Salah Transfer Saga Takes New Twist After Arne Slot Verdict.