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EPL Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images) Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season, bringing an end to his nine-year stay at the club. Liverpool have confirmed an agreement has been reached with the 33-year-old Egypt international to exit Anfield in the summer despite his existing contract, signed last year, running through to the summer of 2027. Advertisement Salah will leave Liverpool as one of the club’s most decorated players, having won eight trophies, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2019. He is third on the club’s all-time leading goalscorer list, having scored 255 times in 435 appearances, behind only Ian Rush (346 goals) and Roger Hunt (285). “With plenty still left to play for this season, Salah is firmly focused on trying to achieve the best possible finish to the campaign for Liverpool and, therefore, the time to fully celebrate his legacy and achievements will follow later in the year when he bids farewell to Anfield, ” a club statement read. A post shared by Mohamed Salah (@mosalah) Salah was the Premier League’s top scorer and creator last season, providing 29 goals and 18 assists as Liverpool won the title in Slot’s debut season in charge. However, his downturn in form this campaign has coincided with Liverpool struggling this term; Salah has scored five goals and provided six assists in 22 league appearances, and has 10 goals in all competitions. In April last year, Salah ended a long-running saga over his future by signing a new deal with the Merseyside club through to 2027. The contract is worth more than £400, 000 ($534, 000) per week plus bonuses. Salah’s future was cast into doubt earlier in the season following an incendiary interview after he was an unused substitute for December’s 3-3 draw at Leeds United, the third consecutive match in which he was not selected by head coach Arne Slot. The Egypt international said he felt “thrown under the bus” by the club and said his relationship with Slot had broken down. He left the door open to a January exit and claimed he has been made a scapegoat for Liverpool’s struggles this season, insisting “someone does not want me in the club”. Salah was subsequently left out of the Liverpool squad for the Champions League tie at Inter, which they won 1-0. The call was taken by sporting director Richard Hughes in conjunction with the club’s ownership and Slot. Advertisement The Liverpool head coach told a press conference before the Inter match that he had "no clue" if Salah had played his final game for the club. He said he was shocked by the claims that the pair's relationship had broken down. Salah, however, was reintegrated back into Liverpool’s team following this winter’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and has started 13 matches for the club since January 21. "We do not know where Mohamed will play next season, " Salah's agent Ramy Abbas Issa posted on Tuesday night. "This also means that no one else knows. " Salah's most obvious suitors — as is often the case for top players in the later part of their careers — might come from Saudi Arabia. After all, it has become home to Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, as well as Salah’s former Liverpool team-mates Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum. More pertinently, however, Al Ittihad, the Saudi Pro League (SPL) side owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), tested Liverpool’s resolve in 2023. At the time, it was made clear to Al Ittihad that Salah was not for sale, but although their attempt to sign him was ultimately unsuccessful, it naturally helped develop a connection between the club and player. Al Ittihad also have the pull of being close to Egypt geographically and culturally and have enjoyed major success with Egyptian players in their squad over the years. An alternative destination could be Al Hilal, the most successful SPL team in history. They are also owned by the PIF and previously pursued Salah in 2024 ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup, only for nothing to materialise. Another possible destination for Salah could be Major League Soccer. MLS Commissioner Don Garber did not hide his admiration for Salah when asked about the prospect of him moving to the U. S. by reporters in January. Advertisement “I’ve seen some rumours about Mo Salah, ” he said. “We very much believe in the sanctity of a contract; that’s an American business dynamic. Mo’s under contract to Liverpool, people we know. It’s a great team. Obviously, if he (Salah) ever decides to come to Major League Soccer, we’d welcome him with open arms. I’d say he should reach out to Leo (Messi) and reach out to Thomas Muller and see how happy they’ve been and how successful they’ve been and how much they’ve really embraced being in Major League Soccer. ” Analysis from Liverpool writer Gregg Evans Many Liverpool supporters sensed this might be coming, but still that doesn’t make it any easier to digest. Salah has redefined expectations since arriving in 2017 and even in this most testing of seasons, his presence on the pitch always gives those in the stands the belief that a moment of magic is close by. Now, the impending departure of the man they call the Egyptian King will bring a close to one of the most transformative eras in the club’s modern history. What will a Liverpool team look like without him? That thought alone will still take some time to get used to, and you can bet these closing months of the season will be emotionally-charged as fans flock to see their hero in red for one last time. The sight of him sitting in front of a trophy cabinet, delivering the news that this will be his final season, was not expected in this quiet, international break, yet the decision to act with such clarity should be applauded. Not only will he now receive a deserved drawn-out send-off, Liverpool will be able to start planning for the future and begin the tough task of filling his big boots. Salah set the tone at Anfield right from the off and backed up a brilliant debut season by helping deliver another Champions League title in 2019 and the long-awaited Premier League crown in 2020. Advertisement The journey has not been without hardship. From the heartbreak of the 2018 Champions League final injury to near-misses in title races, and the odd public outburst, especially this season’s comments that threatened to tarnish his reputation, he’s been through a lot both on and off the pitch. Yet with a FA Cup, two League Cups and a heroic performance in last season’s title win, his legacy is undeniable. There’s no question that he’ll leave both a global icon and club legend, and the hope for Liverpool is that there’s one final chapter still to write. Salah paid tribute to his team-mates and the Liverpool supporters as he announced his departure, describing the club as "a passion, a history, a spirit". “Unfortunately the day has come, ” Salah said in a video posted on social media. “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 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, a history, a spirit, I can’t explain in words. “To anyone not part of this club, we celebrated victory, we won the most important trophies and we fought together during the hardest time of our life. “I want to thank everyone who was part of this club throughout my time here, especially my team-mates, past and present, and to the fans: I don’t have enough words. “For the support you showed me through the best time in my career, and you stood by me in the toughest times, it is something I will never forget and will take with me always. “Leaving is never easy, this will always be my home. You gave me the best time of my life, I will always be one of you. This will always be home to me and my family. “Thank you for everything, because of all of you, I will never walk alone. ” Advertisement Analysis from football finance writer Chris Weatherspoon Salah’s exit makes sense from a financial perspective for Liverpool. Liverpool’s wage bill soared over £400m for the first time in 2045-25. However, it fell as a proportion of revenue, down to a six-year low of 60 per cent. But last summer, Liverpool went on something of a spree in the transfer market, signing Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and others, all on big salaries. Salah signed a lucrative contract extension — as did Virgil van Dijk. Therefore, the underlying wages have almost certainly increased this term. This is important because of the squad cost ratio (SCR), the financial rule that already governs clubs competing in UEFA competitions and will come into force in the Premier League next season. It considers football-related wages and amortisation costs — something that will have increased at Liverpool too after their big outlay — along with agent fees. Clubs will be capped to 85 per cent — or 70 per cent for those in Europe, which Liverpool almost certainly will be, due to UEFA’s rules — of their income for those costs, which means keeping down the wage bill is more important than ever. This is especially important if income drops, because, for example, a team misses out on Champions League football. There will be big weekly savings with Salah’s exit, and while there will be sporting consequences, it would make their transfer activity easier to accommodate. Analysis from Gregg Evans Life after Salah presents both a challenge and a defining opportunity for Liverpool as they begin to shape the future without him. Replacing the 33-year-old’s goals, creativity and aura is no simple task. The club are unlikely to find an immediate like-for-like successor, and it may take a couple of players before they get there. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how ambitious Liverpool are in their recruitment. Advertisement Do they go for a tried and trusted player in the same mould as Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike, or aim slightly lower at a younger player with more potential or one not quite at his peak? Having plenty of time to prepare for Salah’s exit will help, and no doubt the huge saving on his salary will free up funds to be more creative. The return of Isak and hopefully the increased availability of Jeremie Frimpong next season will certainly make a difference, but Liverpool are already light in attack with Salah on board, so they must find a way to strengthen the department further in the summer. This season we’ve seen Slot move Salah into a central position, so tactically, Liverpool could evolve into a more fluid, less Salah-centric side which could be a symbolic shift. Although the next few months will be emotional for supporters as they wave goodbye to their hero, a sense of excitement is likely to follow as a new chapter begins. Analysis from data analyst Mark Carey There is irony to the fact that Salah’s last game at Anfield saw him looking back to his best. A narrow positioning against Galatasaray saw him play inside alongside Ekitike as split strikers, and there were suggestions that it could be a subtle role change to suit him for the next 18 months. As well as the positioning helping to get him in better goalscoring positions, the tactical benefit of this role was that there was less defensive responsibility afforded to Salah — and that is where the debate arises. Much has been made of the Egypt international’s lack of intensity tracking back when Liverpool lose the ball, and there is merit to the argument. From a wider tactical perspective, losing Salah is probably better for the greater good when considering Liverpool’s performances in and out of possession. Advertisement He is not the only one — far from it — but Liverpool need an injection of intensity, energy, and speed next summer, and sadly father time means that Salah’s powers are waning on that front. He has missed some clangers this season, but there is little doubt that Salah could still score double figures if he wore a red shirt next season. In the modern game, goals are sadly not enough on their own — just ask Cristiano Ronaldo after his return to Manchester United — and it feels like this is the right time for Salah and Liverpool to part ways for the benefit of the team next season. Analysis from Caoimhe O'Neill Salah was the "one-season wonder" who within months of arriving was so quickly crowned "King" by Liverpool's Kop stand. His 255 goals and 119 assists prove just how relentless he has been during his nine seasons on Merseyside. And getting to see him play for Liverpool felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity every single time. From that scrappy first goal away to Watford to dancing in the snow against Everton or scoring in the Champions League against his former club, Roma, his first season alone produced so many moments to cherish. And the best thing about it was they did not stop there as rival fans hoped they might. Salah, who barely missed a match, kept going, kept producing magic, kept proving he was far from a one season wonder but more like one of the great wonders of the world. Alongside Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, Salah made up one of the best attacking trios football has ever seen. I'll never forget the feeling when his cracker against Chelsea curved in during the 2018-19 Premier League title race. Even though Liverpool were made to wait another season to end their 30-year title wait, there was something about that goal at Anfield that healed an old wound in all of us. Salah made Liverpool fans dream of more, which is all we ever wanted. And sometimes watching him play you could swear you were actually dreaming. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Colin Millar is a Senior Editor for The Athletic. Prior to joining The Athletic, Colin was European Football writer at Mirror Football. From Belfast, he is the author of The Frying Pan of Spain: Sevilla vs Real Betis, Spain’s Hottest Football Rivalry, and he can be found on Twitter/X: @Millar_Colin Follow Colin on Twitter @Millar_Colin