Mohamed Salah will depart Liverpool this summer as one of the greatest players ever to represent the storied club and grace the Premier League, bringing closure to a nine-year chapter that transformed both the Egyptian forward and the Merseyside institution into global icons whose intertwined destinies produced unprecedented success and unforgettable moments.
Salah’s statistics deliver compelling evidence of his greatness—255 goals in 435 appearances across all competitions—but profound significance lies beneath the numbers for the iconic Anfield figure affectionately labeled the “Egyptian King” by adoring followers who filled the Kop with chants celebrating his exploits on pitches across England and Europe.
He arrived at Liverpool from AS Roma on June 23, 2017, for £34 million—a fee now resembling an act of grand larceny when measured against what he subsequently achieved for a club that invested modestly and received extraordinary returns both sporting and financial. The transfer represented calculated risk on a player who had previously failed at Chelsea, yet manager Jurgen Klopp recognized latent potential others had overlooked.
Salah, like another eventual Premier League great in Kevin de Bruyne, had been at Chelsea but failed to make meaningful impact, scoring just two goals in 19 appearances with only 10 starts before the Blues deemed him surplus to requirements. He turned down Liverpool to join Chelsea when leaving Swiss side Basel in January 2014—his sole Anfield memory before eventually arriving on Merseyside being a start for Jose Mourinho’s side in a 2-0 victory there the following April.
That encounter achieved infamy for Steven Gerrard’s slip—a heartbreaking error that symbolized Liverpool’s title collapse and propelled the championship toward Manchester City. The painful irony that Salah played for the opposition during one of Liverpool’s most agonizing moments would later give way to redemption as he became central to the club’s subsequent renaissance.
Since then, however, Salah has provided memories to last lifetimes for Liverpool and their global fanbase as he helped add the Champions League, two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup to Anfield’s honors board—transforming a club that had endured trophy drought into serial winners competing at European football’s apex.
Salah’s career commenced as something of a slow burner at Basel, with coach Murat Yakin hinting at what he could become after he scored in their 2013 Europa League quarter-final victory against Tottenham. Yakin remarked prophetically: “If Mohamed could score as well, he would not be here any more.” He did. And he was not.
Salah progressed at such rapid rates after leaving Chelsea—first on loan at Fiorentina then during a superb spell at AS Roma—that by the time he arrived at Anfield he was the finished article. However, it remains unlikely that even Klopp realized what extraordinary talent he had signed for what would prove a bargain fee.
The first goal Salah scored was a scruffy, bundled effort from on the goalline in a 3-3 draw at Watford on the opening day of his debut season. From that modest beginning, he never stopped scoring with remarkable consistency that defined his Liverpool career.
As he prepares to depart, Salah has scored 255 goals in 435 games for Liverpool—placing him third on the club’s all-time scoring list behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt, two names synonymous with Anfield greatness across different eras. His position among such legendary company confirms his status in Liverpool’s pantheon.
In the Premier League specifically, he has made 310 appearances for Liverpool, amassing 189 goals and 92 assists. This total of 281 goal contributions represents the biggest for one club in Premier League history—five more than Wayne Rooney accumulated for Manchester United, surpassing one of English football’s most prolific forwards.
Salah possessed the selfish, ruthless streak common among all the greats, yet the assists figure alone demonstrates he was also a generous team contributor who elevated teammates’ performances. The combination of individual brilliance and collective enhancement made him invaluable to Liverpool’s tactical systems across multiple managers.
He established his credentials during a stellar first season, scoring 44 goals and contributing 14 assists in 52 appearances—numbers that shattered expectations and announced his arrival among world football’s elite. The campaign ended in tears, however, after he injured his shoulder when challenged by Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final, lasting only 31 minutes of a 3-1 defeat in Kiev that denied Liverpool European glory.
He waited merely one year for Champions League final redemption, scoring an early penalty when Liverpool defeated Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid—delivering the trophy that had eluded the club since 2005 and cementing his place in Anfield folklore. The conversion showcased his composure under immense pressure on football’s grandest stage.
Salah formed one component of an attacking trident as potent as anything in world football at the time, alongside Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. He raided from the right flank, Mane patrolled the left, while Firmino operated as striker or dropped deep to add subtle brushstrokes to a fluid, devastating combination that terrorized defenses across England and Europe.
It was the perfect marriage of pressing, power, skill, pace, and threat. Salah and Mane were not always compatible as personalities—occasional tension surfaced between two alpha forwards competing for goals and recognition—but on the pitch they synchronized perfectly with each other, aided by the graceful Brazilian Firmino whose unselfish play created space and opportunities.
Salah’s consistency and fitness proved remarkable throughout his Liverpool tenure. His lowest goals total in a full season before this current campaign came in 2019-20 when he “only” scored 23 as Liverpool won the title for the first time in 30 years—ending a championship drought that had haunted the club since 1990 and defined a generation of supporters who never witnessed league glory.
In his Liverpool career, Salah’s win rate from 310 Premier League appearances reaches 63.9 percent, while from his total of 435 games it stands at 62.7 percent—a reflection of glorious years for both club and player during which winning became habitual rather than exceptional. The statistics confirm Liverpool’s transformation into serial champions during his era.
There was rejoicing among Liverpool fans when he signed a new two-year contract in April 2025, extending his commitment through the 2026-27 season. The future seemed secure for both parties in a relationship that had produced mutual prosperity and affection.
It was, therefore, surprising how Salah’s form failed him this season, although—like the rest of the club and its supporters—he was left heartbroken by the death of much-loved teammate Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash in July. The tragedy devastated Liverpool’s dressing room and fanbase alike.
Much of Liverpool’s grief remained private, so the full psychological toll this tragedy exacted remains unknown, but Salah showed his emotions during the opening Premier League match of the season against Bournemouth at Anfield. After scoring Liverpool’s final goal in a 4-2 victory, Salah employed Jota’s trademark goal celebration as tribute to his fallen friend.
He was subsequently moved to tears in front of the Kop as he applauded fans following the final whistle when they sang the Portuguese forward’s song—a poignant moment revealing the human dimensions beneath the superstar persona and the genuine bonds connecting teammates beyond professional obligations.
The subsequent decline in his form resulted in him being dropped to the bench for three successive matches in six days under new manager Arne Slot, culminating in his incendiary interview after he sat and watched a 3-3 draw against Leeds United on December 6. The public airing of grievances shocked observers accustomed to Salah’s typically diplomatic public persona.
Salah, in one of his rare but usually carefully calculated stops before waiting journalists, claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and revealed his relationship with Slot had broken down—explosive statements that generated immediate controversy and speculation about his Anfield future. The comments represented uncharacteristic public criticism from a player who generally avoided media confrontation.
Matters were resolved sufficiently for Salah to subsequently make an early appearance as substitute against Brighton at Anfield the following weekend, feeling the love from fans as he tapped his heart before the Kop after a 2-0 victory—before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. The gesture suggested reconciliation though underlying tensions persisted.
Salah’s public spat with Slot and his denunciation of the club brought the heaviest criticism of his Liverpool tenure, but any tarnishing proved temporary as he was soon rehabilitated—albeit not as the dominant force he once was. The controversy will constitute a minor footnote in an otherwise unblemished legacy.
When the dust settles, no objective observer could argue against the simple fact that Mohamed Salah has been one of the greatest players ever to pull on a red shirt. His name will forever be spoken alongside Rush, Hunt, Kenny Dalglish, and other Liverpool immortals whose contributions transcend statistics.
NBC Sports confirmed that Liverpool announced Tuesday that Salah, who will turn 34 the same day Egypt plays its first game at the 2026 World Cup, will depart this summer despite last year signing the contract extension. “The forward has reached an agreement with the Reds that will see him close a remarkable nine-year chapter at Anfield,” the club declared in a statement.
“Salah expressed his wish to make this announcement to the supporters at the earliest possible opportunity to provide transparency about his future due to his respect and gratitude for them,” Liverpool added, acknowledging the special relationship between player and fanbase that defined his Anfield experience.
In his farewell message, Salah wrote: “Hello, everyone. Unfortunately, the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life. Liverpool is not just a football club. It’s a passion. It’s a history. It’s a spirit. I can’t explain in words to anyone not part of this club.”
“I want to thank everyone who was part of this club throughout my time here, especially the teammates past and present. And to the fans, I don’t have enough words. The support you showed me through the best time of my career, and you stood by me in the toughest times. It’s something I will never forget, and something I will take with me always,” he continued, his words conveying genuine emotion transcending standard athlete platitudes.
“Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life. I will always be one of you. This club will always be my home, to me and to my family. Thank you for everything. Because of all of you, I will never walk alone,” Salah concluded, invoking Liverpool’s anthem to cement his eternal connection to the club regardless of where his career subsequently takes him.
Salah sits third on Liverpool’s all-time goal-scoring chart and has won four Premier League Golden Boots—tied with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry for the most ever. His 191 Premier League goals, including two he scored for Chelsea during the 2013-14 season, rank fourth all-time in league history behind only Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, and Alan Shearer.
During his legendary nine-year Liverpool career, Salah led the Reds to two Premier League titles—in 2019-20, the club’s first top-division championship in 30 years, and again in 2024-25—while also lifting the FA Cup in 2022, the League Cup in 2022 and 2024, and the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2019. The collection of silverware confirms an era of sustained excellence.
Liverpool sit fifth in the Premier League with seven games remaining, one point ahead of Chelsea in the race for what should be a Champions League qualification position. The Reds will face defending European champions PSG in the quarterfinals next month after confronting Manchester City in the FA Cup quarters—suggesting Salah’s final matches could yet deliver additional trophies.
As Mohamed Salah prepares for his final appearances in Liverpool red, the emotions will prove overwhelming for a player and fanbase whose relationship transcended transactional football to become something approaching spiritual communion. The Egyptian King departs his throne, but the legacy remains eternal.
AP/NBC
