Why did Liverpool agree to let Salah leave as a free agent?

The splendid nine-year bond between Mohamed Salah and Liverpool is nearing its end with a bittersweet farewell. The choice to let the most significant symbol of the contemporary era leave Anfield as a free agent stems from FSG's compromise strategy to avoid exacerbating an already unfavorable scenario.

Entering the final negotiations regarding Mohamed Salah's departure from Liverpool, the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), reached a consensus: insisting on a transfer fee would only worsen an already poor situation.

Therefore, they amended a clause, moving Salah's contract expiration date forward by 12 months to June 30, 2026, meaning one of Liverpool's greatest players will leave as a free transfer this summer. It is curious to consider what Trent Alexander-Arnold might think now, who faced extensive criticism for deciding to leave as a free agent last summer, despite ultimately bringing the club £10 million.

Salah will depart without generating a transfer fee, and it is not exaggerated to say that the farewell of a true modern club legend currently lacks the grand tribute ceremony many had anticipated.

For Liverpool, and for Salah himself, the sole consolation is that matters could have been worse. Since he publicly expressed dissatisfaction at Elland Road last December, both sides have continuously sought an exit from the two-year extension signed the previous summer.

At 33, Salah did not receive the desired attention during the January transfer window. The prospect of paying a transfer fee, combined with his wage demands—currently £400,000 per week—did not create the transfer market he had hoped for.

Liverpool would certainly welcome a transfer fee. It would also provide a swift resolution. A great player who publicly severed ties with manager Arne Slot has not maintained his peak form as in the previous season or during most of his nine-year service to the club. Last summer, the club wanted him to extend for another year, but Salah disregarded it. Now, the practical outcome is that the club retained him for a year, while Salah, disillusioned with Slot and life at Liverpool, also secured the right to leave as a free agent.

At a club operated under FSG's data-driven approach, there were concerns that Salah's performance might decline this season. From a current perspective, parting ways last summer might have been a better option for the club. However, given his status as the Premier League Golden Boot holder and top assist provider at that time, selling him then would have been an extremely bold move.

If that scenario had occurred, any subsequent Liverpool failures this season would have been blamed on Salah's departure. Perhaps, the Anfield supporters needed to witness this decline firsthand to reconcile with his exit.

Within the club, Salah remains highly popular among staff and teammates. Regarding negotiations with FSG, the executive team including Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes, and manager Slot, he maintains his uncompromising stance as always. He views himself as one of world football's outstanding players and believes he deserves corresponding treatment.

He and his long-term agent Ramy Abbas never doubted that Salah must always be the primary choice, and once that was no longer part of Slot's plans, conflict became inevitable. Salah would not stay if he were not in the starting lineup. Once his on-field performances could no longer sustain that status, departure was merely a matter of time.

Salah had a verbal exchange with Jürgen Klopp when the former Liverpool manager omitted him from the starting lineup against West Ham in April 2024. His relationship with Slot appears beyond repair. For Liverpool, the scenario of their highest-paid player being benched creates an untenable situation for any club.

He is not the first footballer to exhibit such a self-centered perspective; it is often the mindset of Salah and top-tier players like him. Some might argue it is an essential element of their success.

Notably, no one at the club—owners, coaches, or teammates—was mentioned by Salah in his departure announcement video. The entire message was directed directly to the fans.

Manager Slot continues to receive support from FSG, although long-term that does not guarantee his position. Edwards and Hughes both have contracts until next summer, and similarly, there is no certainty they will extend; in fact, Hughes is attracting interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.

For all parties involved: Slot, Salah, Edwards, and Hughes, much is at stake in the next ten weeks. An opportunity to salvage next season, synonymous with securing Champions League qualification. For Salah, concluding his journey with a brilliant performance and departing as a hero would further reinforce his personal view that he has been treated extremely unfairly this season.