Mohamed Salah stopping for a chat with the media as he left the London Stadium was about as unlikely as Liverpool now winning the Premier League title this season after their dismal 2-2 draw at West Ham.
He has spoken in the mixed zone – a corridor of uncertainty where players must walk past the hungry press pack – just twice in his seven years at Liverpool. But still, a small group of reporters who cover most Reds matches optimistically went down to the bowels of the stadium.
In truth, Mail Sport was there on a mission to get some flash quotes from players on incoming boss Arne Slot. No stars did stop for a chat, clearly under instruction, but less than 10 words from Salah made bigger waves worldwide than a lengthy sit-down chat with any other player.
Salah’s bust-up with boss Jurgen Klopp made the back pages of every English newspaper and led TV bulletins back home in Cairo. They could have been accused of sensationalism after Klopp had tried to douse the fire by saying the issue had been swiftly resolved.
But minutes after the German’s public offering of an olive branch, Salah poured fuel on to the flames and within seconds, the Egyptian’s jibes were being seen globally. A man of few words as ever, but one sentence that proved that all is not well with the Liverpool legend.
Mohamed Salah argued Jurgen Klopp on the touchline as he prepared to come on for Liverpool during their 2-2 draw with West Ham on Saturday
‘If I speak, there will be fire,’ Salah told reporters when walking through the mixed zone
Salah’s outburst will have set alarm bells ringing for incoming Liverpool boss Arne Slot
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‘Fancy a chat, Mo?’ and ‘All OK with Jurgen now, Mo?’ were the questions that were sent his way. ‘There will be fire if I speak,’ came the reply as he trudged to the team bus. ‘Fire?,’ a reporter questioned with a hint of surprise.
A switch might have flicked in Salah’s head in that second – this was going to add to the circus of speculation. He could have reneged and played it down there and then. But he simply came back with, ‘Of course’.
Whatever Salah was biting his tongue over clearly would have been a dig at Klopp, the manager who has been so influential in his journey from a ‘flop’ at Chelsea to one of the greatest players this league has ever seen.
But the bizarre episode, stemming from Salah’s frustration at being dropped for the second time in three games, would have set alarm bells ringing in Boston and Rotterdam, with owners Fenway Sports Group and incoming Feyenoord coach Slot.
As detailed in these pages last week, Liverpool face a conundrum this summer. Salah is out of contract in 2025 – do they cash in this year? He is still their star player and where would they be without his 37 goal involvements this year? Prima facie, it would be daft to sell him.
But this incident has suddenly made a potential nine-figure sum look a little bit more appealing. Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad had £150million turned down last August. No player is bigger than the club and this threatens to be a tense situation that continues to dominate debates.
Salah is right to be frustrated. He is the shining star of the Klopp era and it is ending badly. But on the same token, he is not right to react how he did. He must apologise and allow this to be swept under the carpet before the top brass at Liverpool start to conclude the end is near.
