Mo Salah Liverpool exit: A look back at the Egyptian winger's legacy at Anfield as he bids farewell to the Premier League

The news of Mohamed Salah's exit has shaken Liverpool fans to their core, with the Egyptian announcing on Tuesday his intention to leave in the summer.

Despite only signing a deal in April 2025 that should have kept him at Anfield until 2027, the Reds star will forgo the last year of his contract and depart after nine seasons.

He will leave Liverpool with two Premier League titles to his name, and there is still a chance that he could add a second Champions League crown, as well as a second FA Cup to his illustrious collection of honours.

Here, Sports Mole looks back on his legacy at Liverpool after confirmation that he will call time on his Anfield career.

Steven Gerrard or Mo Salah: Liverpool's greatest Premier League player?

Steven Gerrard is regarded as one of the defining players of not only Liverpool's history, but also the history of the Premier League.

The scouser rarely played in teams that matched his immense talent, but he still managed to carry significantly inferior players to trophies, establishing himself as one of the division's finest midfielders.

Salah may have played in better teams than Gerrard ever did, but his achievements have arguably surpassed that of the former Reds captain.

In 2024-25 under Arne Slot, the 33-year-old set the record for the most goal involvements in a 38-game Premier League season (47), scoring 29 goals and registering 18 assists, guiding the team to first place.

The winger ranks as the fourth highest scorer in Premier League history with 191 goals, but he also ranks seventh for assists provided (93).

Salah may have prioritised scoring in his first few seasons at Anfield, but he became a far more rounded player over the years, adding significantly to his arsenal and dispelling the myth that he had little impact outside of goals.

Few players in the history of English football can claim to have been more creative than the Liverpool star, and he has broken countless records that many believed were untouchable.

In fact, the Egyptian ranks first for direct goal involvements for a single club in Premier League history (281), overtaking Wayne Rooney's tally of 276 for Manchester United.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of his impact on Premier League football is the fact he has won the PFA Men's Players' Player of the Year award three times, picking up the award more than anybody else ever.

Even if a fan holds Gerrard in higher regard than Salah, the fact that there is even a debate to be had is testament to the Egyptian's greatness.

There is no doubt that he has also earned his place in the pantheon of Liverpool's greatest ever players, with the winger's impact not incomparable to that of legends such as Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish.

Jurgen Klopp's crown jewel: Bringing Liverpool out of the wilderness

Jurgen Klopp revolutionised Liverpool from midtable obscurity to Premier League and European immortality, though the path towards glory was slow and methodical.

The Merseysiders finished eighth in 2015-16, fourth in 2016-17 and fourth again in 2017-18, with the club losing Europa League, EFL Cup and Champions League finals in that period.

However, it became apparent that Reds were ready to compete in 2017-18 following the arrival of Mo Salah, who scored 44 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions that campaign.

Liverpool were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in the Champions League final in 2018, though that match was ultimately decided by Salah's first-half injury and Loris Karius's mistakes.

Klopp ended the Red's trophy drought and claimed the team's sixth European crown the following season, with Salah netting the winning goal from the penalty spot in the final against Tottenham Hotspur.

The winger has ended every season he has been at Anfield as the club's top scorer, and even in seasons when the likes of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane disappointed, he still managed to deliver.

While Salah may not have been the final piece of the jigsaw given he was signed before stars such as Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho, few can argue against the fact he was the most important player during Klopp's tenure.

While Klopp was the figurehead of Liverpool's resurgence back to the top, Salah was the defining player of that era.

Mo Salah vs. Jamie Carragher: Disrespected?

It is impossible to talk about Salah without mentioning his perception in the media, as while Liverpool supporters almost unanimously hold him in the highest regard, the same cannot be said of figures in the football industry.

Jamie Carragher has often been the cause ire amongst fans for his fierce opinions, but when he labelled the Egyptian as "selfish" in 2024-25 for talking about his contract, anger in the fanbase was palpable.

The pundit is not the only observer to have critiqued the forward, with the winger infamously labelled a one-season wonder after his debut campaign for the club.

While tributes have poured in for Salah's immense dedication to Liverpool, many publications have argued that he does not rank as highly as other stars such as Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale.

Hazard has himself stated that he believes the Liverpool star has proven to be a considerably better player than he was, but it is notable that many observers appear to have overlooked the historic nature of the Egyptian's achievements.

Salah is the only winger to rank in the Premier League's top 15 scorers of all time, and despite the fact he has scored 16 goals more than Thierry Henry in the league, he is often seen in a different light to the Frenchman and is instead compared to less impactful players.

Though his exploits on the pitch have earned him a place in history, perhaps he will not be remembered as fondly as he should by former pros.