Mohamed Salah has been brilliant for Liverpool but his decline has been stark this season
The numbers don’t lie. Mohamed Salah has been simply brilliant for Liverpool and he will rightly be regarded as one of the best players to ever pull on a red shirt.
Having joined from Roma in 2017, the Egyptian has made 435 appearances for Liverpool, scoring a staggering 255 goals
But the drop-off this season has been alarming. Salah has always had an impeccable sense of timing and there is no doubt he has chosen the right moment to call time on his Anfield career.
His statistics in 2025/26 have been nowhere near his previous output and, with his relationship with Arne Slot seemingly strained, a parting of the ways is sensible and will protect his legacy.
So, what has happened this year?
The first point to make, and this should not be underestimated, is the impact of Diogo Jota’s death last summer. Salah was known to be close to the Portugal striker and he was visibly emotional after the opening-night win over Bournemouth last August, crying in front of the Kop as Jota’s song was being belted out.
The second is he is 33 years of age and Liverpool were prudent in thinking about a succession plan for life without Salah. That saw the arrivals of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak for an outlay of over £300m. You don’t sign players of that calibre, and cost, and don’t play them. Yes, Isak has spent more time in the treatment room than he has on the pitch but Ekitike and Wirtz have adapted well. All of a sudden, Liverpool’s front three wasn’t necessarily Salah, plus two, he had to fight for his spot.
That came to a head after the 3-3 draw at Leeds with Salah outlining his unhappiness after another evening spent sitting on the bench.
He subsequently went to the African Cup of Nations but hasn’t been the same player on his return. The lightening pace, the eye for goal, the ability to lead swift counter-attacks has deserted him.
The numbers behind Salah’s drop-off?
In the Premier League, his record this season reads:
| Apps | Mins | Goals | xG | Goals v xG | Shots | SOT | Conv % | xG per shot | |
| Mo Salah | 22 | 1820 | 5 | 6.82 | -1.82 | 57 | 14 | 8.77% | 0.12 |
The most alarming element is not necessarily the lack of goals, but more the fact he has underperformed his xG (essentially meaning he hasn’t scored as many goals as he should have done with the chances created for him). Last season, he scored 29 goals from an xG of 25.21 to give him a goals v xG figure of 3.79.
By comparison, Ekitike has outperformed his goals v xG (11 goals with an xG of 9.9). Even the much-maligned Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal has a goals v xG score of 1.65 (11 goals with an xG of 9.35).
You can see the full list here…
By any metric, Salah, who added 18 assists to his 29 goals in 2024/25, has had a shocking season.
So, what now for Mohamed Salah?
It seems inevitable that the Egyptian will move to the Saudi Pro League.
His wages, a reported £400,000 a week, likely preclude a move to another European club. Only the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid could afford to match that salary and they have better, younger options.
Saudi isn’t as straightforward as it appears, however. The ongoing war in the Middle East is a large distraction and financial uncertainty in the region is likely to see a greater degree of reticence to hand out huge contracts to footballers.
That said, the possibility of bringing the best Arab player of his generation to the Pro League is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it is likely to happen. With Cristiano Ronaldo now 41 years of age and entering the final stretch of his incredible career, the league needs a global icon to remain relevant and Salah fits the bill.
