1 year later...
After 348 days, it was still a chair, a camera lens, and another breakthrough announcement from Mohamed Salah. In April last year, he spoke to Liverpool FC fans right in Anfield, walking on the red carpet before sitting down on the yellow-rimmed chair. After months of speculation about the future, the "Egyptian King" smiled and said that "the story will continue".
But the video posted on Tuesday evening (March 24), sent to 66 million followers on Instagram, has a different color. He sat in front of the trophy cabinet at home, sighing, choked up. “Unfortunately, that time has come,” Salah said, “I will leave Liverpool at the end of the season”.
That is not what he imagined when signing a 2-year contract in April last year, in the context of Liverpool approaching the Premier League title. But the goals that came abundantly for 9 years at Merseyside have gradually dried up this season. The windbreaking accelerations past the opponent's full-backs are now becoming sparse. At the age of 33, in a season full of upheavals, he is somewhat tired.
Time is an opponent that no athlete can defeat. But the memory of Salah - performances, goals and achievements - will remain. He is currently the 4th highest scorer in the Premier League era, with 255 goals in 435 matches for Liverpool, ranking 3rd in club history, after Ian Rush and Roger Hunt. In the 52-year history of the Professional Football Association (PFA) Player of the Year award, he is the only one to win this title 3 times. When he left in May, Salah was not only a legend of Liverpool but also one of the greatest foreign players in English football ever.
Rare, perfect marriage
There is something very captivating in the story of a boy from a small village in Egypt, overcoming countless barriers to come to Europe, starting at FC Basel, then not only setting foot in the Premier League but also - after a short and disappointing time at Chelsea FC - creating a deep, persistent mark at a club with a rich tradition like Liverpool.
In an increasingly transactional football background, this is one of the rare relationships that is almost perfect: the right person, the right place, at the right time. "I never thought this club, this city, these people would become so deeply part of my life," Salah shared.
And that affection was reciprocated by fans no less. When Liverpool recruited him from AS Roma for an initial price of £36.9 million in June 2017 - lower than the amount that big clubs spent on Alvaro Morata, Romelu Lukaku or Alexandre Lacazette - few people thought that the player who failed at Chelsea would become the spearhead of a team that won 2 Premier League titles, 1 UEFA Champions League and many other titles.
His first season was extraordinary. In 52 matches in all competitions, Salah scored 44 goals, including 32 goals in the Premier League and 11 goals on his journey to the Champions League final. Goals, not only many but also beautiful: A lob shot from a distance of 36 meters into Ederson's net in the 4-3 victory over Manchester City; a move past 2 Everton defenders and then a curling shot to defeat Jordan Pickford; or a spectacular solo against Tottenham Hotspur.
Impact far beyond numbers
But what defines Salah is not just moments, but incredible endurance. Before this difficult season, he maintained an average of 30 goals per season for Liverpool. Although once considered selfish, only 6 players in the Premier League era have assisted more than him. If calculating total goals contributions, only Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard are more than him. But they all need more than at least 100 matches.
Salah's influence far exceeds numbers. He became the first North African player to reach the level of a global superstar. As Simon Hughes wrote in the book "Chasing Salah", he is now with Egypt like Lionel Messi with Argentina or Cristiano Ronaldo with Portugal - something that Egyptian football had never had before, even compared to African icons like Didier Drogba or Samuel Eto'o.
He is also a cultural icon of the Arab world. In 2019, he was honored by Time in the list of 100 most influential people in the world. In a rare interview, Salah told Middle Eastern fans "take me for their child", while emphasizing "we need to change the way we treat women - that's not an option".
Leaving Liverpool under a mutual agreement, when the contract is still 1 year, opens up the possibility of him moving to the Saudi Pro League. Al Ittihad has been pursuing him since the summer of 2023, and owning an Arab star of Salah's stature is suitable for Saudi Arabia's sports investment strategy, especially in the context of Cristiano Ronaldo - who is playing for Al Nassr - turning 41.
Time and other things
In the immediate future, Salah is still focused on closing his journey at Liverpool in the most complete way. This is his most difficult season at Merseyside. When he was eliminated from the starting lineup in November after a series of 9 defeats in 12 matches, he caused a shock when he said he and coach Arne Slot "no longer have a relationship" and "the club seems to have abandoned me".
At one point, his departure from the team to participate in CAN in December seemed like the last farewell. But Salah has returned, fighting to regain his position. However, even in brighter moments - such as the beautiful goals against Brighton & Hove Albion or Galatasaray - he is still not himself as before.
Time is a clear reason, but not the only one. When teammate Diogo Jota passed away in a car accident in July last year, Salah admitted he "felt scared" when returning to Liverpool. "Teammates come and go, but not in this way... it will be very difficult to accept that Diogo is no longer there". After the opening match of the season against AFC Bournemouth, he stood in front of the Kop stands, trying to hold back tears as fans sang Jota's name.
The atmosphere will be different in his final match at Anfield against Brentford on May 24. No one knows how different, because the future of Liverpool and coach Slot is still unstable. But one thing is almost certain: Salah will try to finish his journey in the best way, whether with a title or at least a Champions League spot.
No matter how the last weeks go, Salah's legacy will resonate for a very long time. People may easily be influenced by the most recent things, but in this case, there is no risk in affirming that he is one of the greatest players in Liverpool and Premier League history.
The right person, the right place, at the right time. And repeating that, time after time.
