Every day starts the same way for Mohamed Salah.
He sits on the edge of his bed, spine straight, eyes shut, already playing football in his head.
At 33, the routine isn’t about superstition; it’s about survival at the very top.
He runs through scenarios before they ever happen — that curling finish with his left, the snap shot across the keeper, the tiny decisions that separate good forwards from great ones.
It’s a habit he borrowed from Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of them all.
Visualisation. Salah believes he has “seen” almost all of his goals before they hit the net. Nearly 390 of them.
Whether that makes him a perfectionist or a prophet depends on your point of view.
The Conversation That Mattered Most
Last Friday morning, the biggest picture Salah was imagining had nothing to do with a goal.
Instead, it involved a closed door and a conversation with Arne Slot.
This was not just another meeting. Get it right, and Salah would be back in the fold.
Get it wrong, and Liverpool would have little choice but to leave their biggest star out again.
Confidence has never been Salah’s problem — some would call it arrogance, though few question whether he’s earned it.
What happened in that room didn’t involve grand speeches or dramatic apologies.
There was no theatrical reconciliation, no forced smiles.
Just a handshake. Enough for now.
By Saturday, Salah was back in the squad to face Brighton at Anfield. A ceasefire, not a surrender.
A Truce, Not a Peace Treaty
Think of it like the Christmas truce of 1914. For a brief moment, hostilities pause. Then reality resumes.
This agreement may yet prove to be the turning point in Liverpool’s season, or it may simply buy time.
The relationship between player and club remains delicate.
Serious discussions are still expected, particularly while Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
What’s already clear is that this situation runs deeper than one disagreement with a new manager.
It has divided supporters, strained the dressing room, and threatened to spill into something far uglier than anyone at Anfield wants.
What Liverpool Actually Want
After speaking to sources across Liverpool, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Italy, a clearer picture begins to form.
Liverpool have no intention of selling Salah in January. None.
He only signed a new contract a few months ago, worth more than £400,000 a week, and the club remains committed to making this work.
Friday’s meeting was seen internally as a major step forward.
The club continues to back Slot fully and believes the situation is fixable, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.
Salah’s View From the Inside
Salah, for his part, still loves Liverpool. He believes England suits him and his family, and his daughters are settled. This is home.
That said, Saudi Arabia has never been completely dismissed.
Since interest first emerged in 2023, Salah has avoided closing that door entirely.
He hasn’t pushed for a move, but nor has he ruled one out if circumstances change.
Saudi clubs believe that if Salah does decide he wants to leave, they can get a deal done — either in January or more likely in the summer — for a fee approaching £100 million.
Saudi, Stateside, or Staying Put?
Al Hilal, Al Qadisah and Neom are all watching closely.
Liverpool previously rejected a £150 million offer from Al Ittihad in 2023, and nothing has changed since.
At present, the club has given absolutely no encouragement that Salah is available.
One source in the Middle East described the situation as “difficult”, but not impossible — if Salah himself shows willingness.
Over in the US, MLS sides including San Diego and Chicago Fire have considered a move.
The upcoming World Cup in North America makes the idea tempting.
But the financial reality likely rules them out. Inter Miami, despite the Beckham-Messi factor, are not involved.
Egypt’s Emotional Response
If the mood around Liverpool has been tense, the reaction in Egypt has been explosive.
Salah is not just a footballer there — he is a national symbol.
Many Egyptians support Liverpool solely because of him, and seeing their hero sidelined has sparked outrage.
Some voices have even questioned Slot’s authority, accusing him of weakness.
Former players, broadcasters and journalists have all weighed in, united in their defence of Salah.
National team manager Hossam Hassan spoke at length with him this week, and several teammates from across Europe reached out privately.
For Egypt, an emotionally fired-up Salah is seen as a positive ahead of AFCON.
The Pharaohs have won the tournament seven times, but their greatest-ever player has never lifted it, losing two finals along the way.
Slot Under Pressure
For Slot, this episode has been one of the toughest of his career.
He has dealt with hostility before — including being verbally abused when leaving AZ Alkmaar — and it has shaped how he operates.
He prefers distance from the spotlight, space to think.
“I am definitely not enjoying this situation,” he admitted.
“We have won the league together, and he has done so much for the club.”
Slot insists strength isn’t about stubbornness.
Sometimes, he says, the smartest move is not proving a point but doing what helps the team most.
That philosophy guided Friday’s meeting.
No Farewell, No Weak Hand
Inside Liverpool, there was irritation at talk of a “farewell” for Salah at Anfield.
From their perspective, it made no sense.
Clubs don’t plan goodbyes for players they expect to keep.
There’s also a practical reason. Showing weakness in negotiations only drives the price down.
Saudi sources believe Salah’s value sits around £100 million — similar to what was discussed for Bruno Fernandes last summer.
Liverpool are in no rush. They believe Salah will see out his contract, which still has 18 months left.
A Calmer Moment, For Now
After Brighton, Salah will head to Cairo for AFCON preparations, with a friendly against Nigeria on the horizon.
Slot, meanwhile, welcomes a rare week without a midweek game.
Being knocked out of the Carabao Cup may not please everyone, but it offers breathing space.
Both men will likely reflect on things they wish they’d handled differently.
One more publicly than the other. Still, they emerge — for now — with dignity intact.
What’s Next?
Salah spent his midweek day off in London, as he often does, enjoying time with family or wandering museums.
Yet Liverpool remains where he seems happiest — at Anfield, or at home away from the noise.
Whether this truce becomes something lasting or merely a pause before the next chapter is still unclear.
But for the moment, the war has stopped — and in a season that threatened to spiral, that alone feels significant.
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