Arne Slot breaks the silence on Mohamed Salah’s decision to leave Liverpool

Arne Slot speaks publicly for the first time about Mohamed Salah’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

Arne Slot paid tribute to Mohamed Salah, saying the forward will “definitely go down as a legend” for Liverpool.

The Egyptian confirmed last week via his social media channels that this will be his last season as a Reds player, with a deal in place for the third-highest goalscorer in the club’s history to leave as a free agent a year before his contract expires.

During his nine years at Anfield, Salah has won two Premier League titles and counts the 2019 Champions League and Club World Cup among his honours.

And in an interview with the club’s official website at the AXA Training Center on Wednesday, Liverpool Slot’s head coach spoke highly of the No.11’s success during a decorated career on Merseyside.

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“I knew, so it was not new news for me, but I think it was nice to hear and see all the actions of his colleagues, but also from all over the world, for what he did for this football team and football in general,” Slot told Liverpoolfc.com.

“Especially I saw this as a fan, so I watch football, I see him playing in Liverpool, doing all these special things that he has done for this team. Of course, in the games against [Manchester] City but also in all other sports. He broke record after record.

“Then I started working with him and from the first day I was impressed with his professionalism because like any time, it starts with a test that shows how much they did in the off-season and he beat them all. He was the strongest player that came back, and I think that’s the ideal situation you want as a manager: that your star player comes back as good as he did.

“He had nothing to prove, but for him he had a lot of evidence because Mo always thinks he has to prove something every three days. That hunger never stops and that’s what I consider most important to him.

“A lot of good players around the world [and] he’s definitely one of them in the last 10 years, that everyone talks about being one of the best there is and he’s been there in the last 10 years.

“Showing that hunger every three days, that professionalism, that commitment to the team, to the team, wanting to score again, always wanting to play – when you take him out three minutes before the end, he’s like, ‘Maybe I should have scored more!’ – that’s what stands out to me.

“Everything he has done for the team, but when I started working with him I knew after one day, not to mention after a few weeks or months, that it is not a coincidence that he has had a big impact on the last 10 years of football.”

It was Salah’s 29 goals and 18 assists last season that went a long way to the Reds winning their 20th title in Slott’s opening campaign.

And Slot added: “Hopefully he can make his legacy even more special in the coming weeks and months where we are playing for something special. But he will always leave this team as a legend because, as I said, the way this team has done in the past is also a big part of what he has done for it.

“Getting goals, having his assists. As I said, as a fan, I watched him with the first three with Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino, everyone is talking about that, and it is.

“And when I started working with him, I don’t know if it was his best season statistically, but it was an amazing season because he had the most goals and the most assists and I don’t know if more has happened with him, let alone any Premier League player.

“He will surely leave as a legend of this team.”

Liverpool’s chances of defending the Premier League title rest on their hopes of silverware staying alive in the FA Cup and Champions League after reaching the quarter-finals of both competitions.