Mo Salah To Leave Liverpool | Where does the ‘Egyptian King’ rank among LFC greats?

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0:39Yes, guys, it's Rio Reacts and we have to talk about Mr. Mohamed Salah. Huge, huge, huge statement. Listen, man, Liverpool FC, Mohamed Salah, that's been like a marriage made in paradise. are coming together that a player that no one really thought was going to go on to do like crazy things what he's done. Yes, he had the potential, but did anyone expect it? He went on to become an absolute Liverpool legend. 255 goals, eight trophies and countless iconic moments. But now the Egyptian king is set to leave Liverpool and there's been an official announcement. Salah will leave at the end of the 2025-2026 season despite his contract running until 2027 so Liverpool have confirmed the agreement and there is an early exit, the club statement highlights that the focus remains on finishing the season strong but there will be a proper farewell for the absolute Egyptian superstar but listen man you've got to look at it, I mean this season there's been a big, big come down in terms of his stats.

1:54Five league goals, six assists, ten goals in all competitions. If you compare that to last season, guys, 29 goals, 18 assists. And you have to say there's been a noticeable decline. And that's played a part in the impact of a negative season for Liverpool. They've gone from champions to a team that are lacking any sort of form, consistency confidence and you have to say like he's influenced an impact on this football club since he's been there has been like as good as if not better than anybody and more important than anybody maybe because he's just been super consistent and the way he approaches every season in terms of stats in terms of performance in terms of importance to the team has been like have Liverpool ever seen anything like it in recent years definitely in Premier League history.

2:51And I think this season you've got to look at, I mean, the fallout with Slott, I think, is something that you've got to look at and go, wow, have they ever recovered from that relationship? Has it ever healed? And you remember the quote that come out of it from that statement that he made about being thrown under the bus and claiming that the relationship had broken down. and then the response from Slott dropped him from the Inter Milan game but then obviously later he was reintegrated into the team after the AFCON so you can talk about all that but I would say that Salah's legacy is trophies two Premier League titles, a Champions League among other titles but 255 goals in 435 appearances Third, I must add, in the all-time Liverpool list of top goal scorers behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.

3:50Just that alone there, you know we're dealing with an iconic footballer. I mean, there's no doubt in my mind that Mo Salah goes down as one of the greatest players in Liverpool's history. You're talking the Kenny Dalglishes, you're talking the Stephen Gerrards, the Ian Rushes. Mo Salah comes into that category I'm telling you as a footballer I would say I'd go third on that list I'd go

4:22Steven Gerrard Kenny Dalgleish Kenny Dalgleish or Steven Gerrard Mo Salah Ian Rush that's where I'd go you've got to remember where Liverpool were they were looking to become title contenders they were looking to do things they were hoping to do things he comes alongside others by the way you've got to respect the input of the Van Dijks the Alisons the Mane's these guys Firmino they were all brilliant players right but his goals his output was like ridiculous the consistency with which he was scoring goals I mean people argue Mane or Salah I think you can argue that I think it's a valid debate but in terms of longevity and being there and the the volume of goals that he scored was a joke.

5:14And you look at it now and I think he's going to be one of those players that is appreciated far greater in years to come because I've seen people talk, I've seen loads of Liverpool podcasts and fans about get rid of Salah, he's this he's that. There does come a time in even the legends and the iconic players like a Salah where you go, you know what, probably the time is up but with how quick that changed I thought was disrespectful to him because I think that what he's done the last eight or so years he deserves a bit more time he deserves time to kind of go through a bad spell if he wants to, if he's having a little patch where you go, it's not clicking for him if anyone deserves a little bit of respite and a bit of time to get that form and confidence back, it's Mo Salah I don't want to talk about because it's May United but Ryan Giggs the most decorated footballer in Premier League history went through a downturn in form and confidence when I was at Manchester United yeah there were people saying maybe it's time for him to move on there was murmurings of other clubs wanting him but you know what the club stuck it out stuck by him and he went on to win probably three or four maybe five Premier League titles like so those greats when they've done so much great work for a football club I think you have to look at them in a different light Right, man, we've got loads still to come right on this pod, but we'll be back shortly after this.

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7:19Our Liverpool back in honor slot over Mo Salah. I think there's a couple of different layers to it. His wages are astronomical. I think there's circa 400 grand a week. So he coming off that wage bill frees up a lot of money. and I think this game is a business now so that's definitely come into consideration. His output of goals has dropped massively from years gone by so they're looking at that and thinking is that then his age? So all these factors are playing into it and then going, you know what, actually we're going to go with the manager on this one and I think that's the way it's gone. I think Mo Salah's sitting there now going I should have left at the end of the season.

8:00Trent left, Virgil stayed and signed a new deal. I signed a new deal but I should have gone. Won the Premier League. But you've got to look at it though. I think as a footballer you look there and go you always feel you don't go into a season going, I'm not confident. He's backing himself. He's a top goal scorer. He's the iconic legend at the football club. I'll get us over the line. Every year he goes into it thinking I'm going to get us over the line. And this season after winning the Premier League scoring the amount of goals he did last season will be no different. He would have gone into this season, no matter what happens, I will shoot us to be a contender minimum to win the league.

8:40And this season, it just hasn't happened. Maybe he just wants to play Champions League football next season. Who knows? There's a lot of reports about him maybe going to Al-Etihad or Al-Hilal or other teams in Saudi. Obviously, there's some huge names there already. Cristiano Ronaldo, obviously. Neymar was there. Benzema was there. Now Mahrez, Kante, etc.

9:04MLS, is that a possibility? I think if he leaves Liverpool, I think Saudi, the culture,

9:15I can't see him going anywhere else. And it's, I don't know. Yeah, I don't think he goes anywhere else. Another question, what's next for Liverpool? Who replaces Salah? who replaces Salah on that wing on the right wing where he's been smashing teams scoring goals left right and centre when there's an issue or problem we're struggling you can close your eyes as a Liverpool player and just go bang it out there Trent was doing it all of the players just give it to him he'll find a solution he'll find us a way right so where do they go now like do they change formation do they go right we're going to play two strikers we've got Eketiko who's flying in.

10:00Spent big money on him. Is Saks now going to get fit? Bang them two up front, Virch behind, change the formation. Or do they go, no, we've got to get like for like. We've got to find a right winger. I don't know, man. I'm not sure. I'm not sure what they're going to do. They've got young Rio coming in, but he's not ready to play and start every game. He's not going to get you 20, 25 goals a season. He's got to be blooded in still.

10:24I don't know. I mean this this may be not just be about one player just leaving the football club it might be a full reset so could it be a change in formation could it be just again like I said one player like for like let's see who we can get but I don't no one jumping off the page and I'm going that's the guy who's going to replace Mo Salah at Liverpool I can't think of it right now I just can't you lot get in the comments let me know who you think is going to be the guy who Liverpool can realistically go and get to fill the void left by Salah. Yeah, guys, listen, we've got a Rio Meats coming out, 4pm, Argentina's explosive, absolute goal machine from the 90s, Mr.

11:07Gabriel Batistuta, one of the best goal scorers. If there was a goal scorer from the 90s who I thought could come and play in the Premier League and bang goals and live with a hard end or someone like that, Batistuta would be one of my top three that I'm picking in Serie A he was an absolute don like gunslinger slapping goals like one of the most devastating finishers around so yeah man we got to spend a bit of time with him sit down talking about all things Messi Diego Maradona some of the crazy stuff that went on inside the changing room with him and Maradona he was a close caught with seeing what he was like and how he worked as a captain yeah it got quite emotional I'll be honest with you he was talking about how he feels he could have done more around the latter stages of Diego Maradona's life.

11:59But yeah, talking about crazy injuries that he had, but you don't want to miss this one. Gabriel Batistuta, Rio Meats. And by the way, I'm signing out here, live and direct from LA. This is where we'll be in the World Cup, by the way. Rio presents, Rio Meats, right from this sofa.

12:24Thank you.

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