Danny Murphy thinks Mohamed Salah's Liverpool exit was driven more by form than by any single relationship in the dugout. He said the Slot factor is there, but also argued that Salah's dip was the bigger issue, and that a manager may simply have arrived at the same dilemma later than someone else would have. Salah leaves Liverpool after 257 goals in 442 appearances, having also won a third PFA Player of the Year award at the club.

Why Murphy is not blaming Slot alone

Murphy was blunt about it to goal.com. "I think the biggest impact on him leaving is his form," he said. "The Slot factor is definitely there. We're being naive if we don't think it is." He then went a step further, suggesting Slot may have left him in too long while he was struggling.

That view matters because the raw numbers still show why Salah's spell carried so much weight. He scored 34 goals in 2024-25, then left with 257 goals and 442 appearances for Liverpool. Form, in this case, is not a throwaway explanation. It is the obvious place to start.

Murphy's point is also that a better relationship might have bought time, not necessarily saved the situation. Once Liverpool decided Salah needed a breather, the exit path looks less like a single managerial split and more like a player whose level had already forced the issue.

Liverpool's next wide option is still only a link

The succession chat has already moved on to Yan Diomande, but that story is still only interest, not a done deal. Liverpool are said to be leading the chase, with a reported £87million price tag attached, and Diomande has made no secret of his admiration for the club.

"I have one [dream], I want to play at Anfield. I want to play for Liverpool. I'm a big fan of Liverpool," he said.

There is also a football case for why his name has surfaced. Diomande scored 13 goals and made 10 assists in 36 games in his first season at RB Leipzig, which is the kind of output that gets attention quickly. But the transfer part remains exactly that, a link. Nothing more solid has been made public here.

Salah's exit may end up being remembered for the managerial debate around it, but Murphy's reading is more grounded. The form came first, the relationship issue sat behind it, and the conversation now has already shifted to who Liverpool might trust next on the right side.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →