Mo Salah theory shared by former Liverpool midfielder as Egypt star sets World Cup record

Egypt winger Mohamed Salah is likely 'past his best' despite his assist for the Pharaohs in their 1-1 World Cup draw with Belgium, a former Liverpool player has exclusively told Sports Mole.

All eyes were on the 34-year-old and fellow veteran Kevin De Bruyne in Monday's Group G match, which saw Salah write yet another unique chapter of history.

The Liverpool legend set up Emam Ashour's opener, thus becoming the first-ever African player to provide a World Cup assist on his birthday, before Mohamed Hany's own goal denied Egypt all three points.

Salah's latest unrivalled feat comes at a time when the attacker is on the lookout for a new landing ground, having departed Liverpool with a year left on his contract thanks in no small part to a fractured relationship with Arne Slot.

However, the latter was then sacked as head coach six days after the season ended, but Danny Murphy is not convinced that Salah would have stayed had he known Slot was on the way out too.

Could Mo Salah have stayed at Liverpool this summer?

Speaking to Sports Mole before Egypt's draw with Belgium, Murphy said: "I think there’s a small chance he could have stayed, but overall, I think the biggest factor in him leaving was his form and performance levels.

"As an older player, you sometimes realise when you’re slightly past your best. I might be wrong, but it looks that way with Mo, so his time had probably come based on his performances.

"Salah’s relationship with Arne Slot certainly didn’t help, but I can’t think of a manager who would have left him in the team. Slot kept playing him longer than the fans wanted him to, because he was really struggling at one stage.

"They eventually fell out, but I believe Salah would have fallen out with any manager who did the same thing to him, and very few managers would leave players in the team who are struggling that badly.

"I think this situation would have arisen with any manager, because they would have had to leave him out of the side. There’s a slight chance he could have stayed with a different manager, but it’s unlikely."

What is the latest on Mo Salah's future?

It is no secret that the Saudi Pro League have been after Salah's services for a number of years, and Al-Ittihad even tried their luck with a £150m offer in 2023, which was rejected.

Now that the 34-year-old is a free agent, top clubs in the Middle East are expected to pursue him more aggressively than ever before, and there will be no concerns over his wage demands.

However, a switch to the Turkish Super Lig has also been mooted for Salah, although his agent has shot down claims that a move to the country is imminent.

For now, Salah remains purely focused on Egypt's World Cup campaign, which continues next Monday morning against New Zealand.

Danny Murphy was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of NetBet online betting.