Liverpool lost to Chelsea at Anfield on Thursday, suffering a fifth consecutive Premier League defeat at home for the first-ever time.
Mason Mount’s 42nd-minute goal made all the difference, and Jurgen Klopp’s men could not find a way back into the game in the second half.
The German manager was forced to withdraw Mohamed Salah with 28 minutes left as the Egyptian appeared too tired to help out with the defensive duties on his flank.
The Liverpool forward was not particularly pleased with the decision, shaking his head as he walked off the pitch, and his agent’s post on Twitter right after the incident did not help matters.
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— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) March 4, 2021
It is unknown whether the cryptic post has anything to do with Klopp’s decision to withdraw Salah early in the game, but it has since generated a lot of social media buzz.
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler believes there is more to the tweet than meets the eye, urging the Reds to cash in on the 28-year-old if he wants to go.
“Mo Salah’s agent knew what he was doing when he tweeted that full stop after the game on Thursday – I saw it, and straight away I thought, ‘Here comes trouble’,” Fowler told the Daily Mirror.
“He can dress it up however he wants now, but, as the agent of a high-profile player, you know that anything you say is scrutinised forensically and anything cryptic like that can be interpreted in sinister ways. I’ve not got a clue what he meant, but it was clearly pointed.
“And you know what, if the player is agitating for a move, let him go. I’m not having a go at Salah. I love him to bits.
“But I truly believe that transfers now are largely about what players want, so the ball is in his court, not Liverpool’s. If he wants to go, then he should go. If a player wants to leave, we have to accept it’s in the mix.”
Salah has established himself as one of Liverpool’s most important players since joining the club from Roma in 2017, scoring 118 goals in 189 appearances across all competitions.
The Egypt international was crucial to their Champions League and Premier League triumphs in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and losing such an important player will be a huge blow.
He is not short of suitors, having been linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, but whether Liverpool would be willing to let him go is debatable.
However, Klopp is not likely to hold on to any player who does not want to stay around, and should Salah insist on leaving the German is unlikely to stop him.
In other news, Gary Lineker has reacted thus as Virgil van Dijk edges closer to return.
