Why Mohamed Salah Is Leaving Liverpool at Season’s End

The 33-year-old will not see through the end of his contract with the Reds.

Liverpool is preparing to say goodbye to a legend. | Alex Pantling/UEFA/Liverpool FC/Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto/MB Media/Getty Images

Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah is leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2025–26 season, marking the end of a legendary career in a red shirt.

The club dropped the bombshell on Tuesday evening, confirming the ensuing exit of Liverpool’s third all-time leading goalscorer. Salah, who made the move from AS Roma ahead of the 2017–18 season, helped the Reds lift two Premier League titles, top the Champions League and collect six other trophies during his illustrious career at Anfield.

The Egypt international is a Red through and through, so much so that he inked a two-year extension last year, committing his future to Liverpool despite tempting offers from the Saudi Pro League. Yet a woeful 2025–26 seemingly changed everything for Salah.

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Why Salah Is Leaving Liverpool Before His Contract Expires

Salah’s recent struggles both on and off the pitch no doubt played a factor in his premature exit from Liverpool. The decision was clearly not made rashly, but rather came about after a slow build-up of issues unfolded throughout the campaign, dating all way back to August.

Reds Eager to Defend Their Premier League Title

Mohamed Salah led Liverpool to their 20th league title last season. | Liverpool FC/Getty Images

There was sweeping optimism throughout Merseyside ahead of the 2025–26 season. Already the reigning Premier League champions, Liverpool broke the bank to welcome blockbuster signings Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké, among others, to Anfield this summer.

The wealth of new faces joined an already established group of proven winners, led by Salah. The forward was coming off a sensational season that ended with 34 goals, 23 assists and a record third PFA Player of the Year award.

Yet things quickly went south for Arne Slot’s men, and Salah felt like he was shouldering all the blame for the team’s struggles. Despite Wirtz and Isak’s slow starts, Ibrahima Konaté’s disastrous outings and Liverpool’s lack of composure late, it was the club icon under fire for his shortcomings

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Salah Takes Aim at Slot, Liverpool

Arne Slot (left) and Mohamed Salah had a public falling out. | Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images

Things came to a head in December after Slot dropped Salah on multiple occasions to try and find a winning formula for the Reds’ woes. The Egyptian gave a scathing takedown of the Dutchman and Liverpool, claiming he was “thrown under the bus” and under-appreciated by the club he gave everything to for nine seasons.

Slot and Salah were in a standoff for some time before the two seemingly hashed out their issues. But the reconciliation and Salah’s subsequent return to the XI did not help the Reds turn their season around. The defending English champions are floundering in fifth place in the Premier League, barely holding on to Champions league qualification for next season.

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Poor Form Leaves Salah Out of Excuses

Mohamed Salah has failed to live up to his lofty standards. | Alex Pantling/UEFA/Getty Images

All the while, Salah continued to underperform, looking like a shell of his former self. Through 34 appearances in 2025–26, he only has 10 goals to his name, on pace for the lowest tally of his Liverpool career.

Fans began to call for emerging talent Rio Ngumoha to replace the 33-year-old in the XI to give the Reds a spark up top. Suddenly, Salah saw himself slowly turn into the villain in the eyes of pundits and supporters who once sang his praises.

Amid his suddenly tenuous position on Merseyside comes the allure of the transfer market, with teams in MLS and the Saudi Pro League itching to hurl money at Salah to begin a new chapter of his career elsewhere—and it looks like the legendary forward finally agreed.

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