In Liverpool’s recent Merseyside derby defeat, the Egyptian forward was kept on the bench for the trip to the London Stadium. It wasn’t until the 78th minute that Salah was brought on by Klopp, along with Darwin Nunez, just after Antonio had scored. Salah appeared reluctant and disgruntled when shaking Klopp’s hand before entering the field, possibly upset about having only 12 minutes to make an impact. According to a report by SPORTbible, a lip reader explained that during the confrontation, Klopp seemed angered by the time Salah took to prepare himself to come on.
Salah reportedly responded with, “There’s nothing I can do about that, nothing.” The exchange continued, with Klopp’s exact words unclear. Nevertheless, Salah played the final 12 minutes. Prior to this incident, Salah’s future at Liverpool had been the subject of speculation, with talks of a potential move to the Saudi Pro League this summer. With his contract expiring in 2025, Liverpool would need to sell him this summer or risk losing him for free in 12 months if a new deal cannot be reached.
Despite this uncertainty, The Athletic reported that the 31-year-old is expected to remain at Anfield for at least one more season. Klopp himself refused to comment on the Salah situation in the aftermath of the draw, stating, “We spoke about that in the dressing room and it’s done for me,” during his press conference.