Mohamed Salah: Physical decline or something else? The real reasons behind the Premier League star's struggles in 2025-26

Since making the switch to Anfield from Roma in 2017, Mohamed Salah has firmly established himself as not only one of Liverpool's best-ever players, but one of the greatest Premier League players of all time.

Netting 252 goals and providing a further 121 assists across his 430 games for the Reds so far, Salah now ranks third in the Merseysiders' all-time top scorers list, and holds the record for the most goal contributions for a single club in the history of the Premier League.

However, the Egyptian winger has failed to match his own lofty standards in 2025-26, sparking debates about the potential causes for such a drastic decline, while also raising questions about his future at the club.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the reasons behind Salah's difficult campaign so far, examining the numbers and considering the possibility of a summer transfer.

Has Mohamed Salah physically declined this season?

When Liverpool were in contract negotiations with their number 11 last term, one of the most common concerns that commentators had was the fact that any extension would take Salah into his mid-30s.

These worries were often dismissed by one side of the debate, who highlighted that the 33-year-old is often said by teammates and coaches to have an immaculate ethic in terms of fitness and gym work.

On the other side, the idea of designating such a significant portion of the wage bill to a player that was likely beyond his peak years remained problematic.

In the end, Salah put pen to paper on a deal that represented a compromise between the opposing views: The winger would be the club's highest-ever earner on £400,000 per-week, but only for a duration of two years, with his contract running until 2027.

However, in the wake of Liverpool's failed title defence this season, the opinion that Salah has physically declined has become the default position, and has been spread by Liverpool-related pundits such as Jamie Carragher.

In reality, the number 11 averaged 15.1 sprints per game in 2024-25, and with a little over 13 in 2025-26, that number is only marginally smaller. Meanwhile, the forward covered 9.3km on average in Premier League games last term, and with a mean of 9.5km this time around, the numbers are similar once again.

While such figures do not provide a holistic picture of Salah's physical profile, the fact that he is averaging similar stats this season to last makes it difficult to argue that his struggles are due to natural physical decline, as is commonly claimed.

Is Arne Slot getting the most out of Mohamed Salah?

If a loss of physicality is not the cause for Salah's drop off, then the idea that Slot's approach in 2025-26 has failed to platform the 33-year-old's strengths could be.

Slot has proven that he can get the best out of the Premier League's highest ever goal contributor, given that his system enabled Salah to score 29 goals and provide 18 assists on the way to lifting the top-flight title last season.

However, with the arrival of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, it became clear that the Reds were planning to shift the focal point of their attack away from Salah and towards a new generation of talent.

While preparing for a post-Salah future at Anfield is undoubtedly a good idea, the current reality of the situation has arguably been the main cause for the drastic decline in output from the star.

As an example of that shifting focus, Salah has averaged 48.3 touches per 90 in the league this season compared to 49.1 in the table-topping 2024-25 campaign.

These numbers are similar on the surface, but when breaking down the location of these touches, Salah has averaged just 7.5 touches in the box in 2025-26, a 25% decrease from the 10 he managed on average in each of the prior three terms.

Additionally, Trent Alexander-Arnold was the key player in Liverpool's buildup before he left to join Real Madrid, and the impact of his absence on Salah - and the team more broadly - should not be overlooked.

Losing a unique player such as the England right-back, who grew into one of the best playmakers in world football on Merseyside, naturally demanded a change in direction, and it could take some time before the club are able to return to a similar level of attacking efficiency with its new set of stars.

Will Salah be sold in the summer 2026 transfer window?

According to increasingly reliable reports and rumours, the possibility of Salah being sold in the summer is becoming more and more realistic.

Liverpool under Fenway Sports Group have been run in a frugal manner, with the ownership not funding the club with their financial power but instead building up the Reds' own revenues in a sustainable fashion.

With that in mind, it seems improbable that Salah could remain on Merseyside beyond the end of this season given that his £400,000 per-week contract is no longer balanced by his once-remarkable output.

This idea lends credence to the suggestion that the club legend could be sold to a club in the Saudi Pro League, whose leadership have long seen Salah as a potential jewel in the crown of their growing division.