Arne Slot believes Mohamed Salah can maintain a world-class level akin to Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, emphasizing that it is more crucial how the Liverpool striker performs on the pitch rather than what he posts on social media. Salah recently moved into eighth place on the all-time Premier League goalscorers' list with a remarkable, signature finish against Brighton. This was his 164th Premier League goal and his ninth of the season across all competitions. The striker, whose contract with Liverpool expires at the end of this season, shared a message on X stating: 'No matter what happens, I will never forget what scoring at Anfield feels like.'
Slot asserts that he has not discussed the post with the 32-year-old and is confident that Salah can continue to excel at the highest level beyond his current contract. 'There is no reason at the moment to think that he is dropping in terms of level,' said Liverpool's head coach. 'That's not what you see when you look at his numbers or what you see when he plays. I don't know how to say this in English, but I cannot tell you how the future will look like.'
Comparing Salah to Ronaldo, who is currently 39, and Messi, who remains outstanding at 37, Slot acknowledges that not all players maintain their peak performance at that age. 'I don't know what the future brings but I do know Mo is in a very good place,' he added. Liverpool, the current Premier League leaders, will host Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday. Slot revealed that his conversations with Salah this week have focused solely on the upcoming match, not his social media activity. He also acknowledged that contract-related speculation involving Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold will persist until their futures with the club are clarified.
'You interpreted it in a way that maybe other people don't,' Slot replied when questioned about the possible implications of Salah's post. 'I don't look at Instagram posts of my players, I only talk to them, which you can't, which is the advantage I have. I am hoping he will make another post after tomorrow and again after Saturday. What he said with that is not important. For me what is important is how he plays and what he tells me when we have conversations. That is what matters and not how you guys interpret one of his posts.'
Slot further clarified that he has not spoken to Salah about the post. Their discussions have centered on Leverkusen, a team deserving of their full attention due to their quality. 'He is out of contract at the end of the season – Virgil also said something in the press – and now he has a post which you interpreted in a certain way. This will probably continue for as long as their futures are not clear. In the meantime, let's hope they bring in performances like Mo and Virgil had at the weekend,' concluded Slot.
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