Liverpool: Mohamed Salah reveals ‘tension’ with Reds legend as he confirms exit was ‘possibility’

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has revealed that he had a “tense” relationship with one of his former teammates as they “were not close off the pitch”.

Salah has returned to form this season as he’s pushed Liverpool to their 20th Premier League title, grabbing 28 goals and 18 assists in the league.

The 32-year-old has an elite mentality and head coach Arne Slot has altered Liverpool’s system to get the best out of the winger, who can focus on producing in the final third.

Salah has comfortably been Liverpool’s best attacker this season, with Slot’s forward department a far cry from the peak under Jurgen Klopp as the Egypt international partnered Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Salah and Mane combined brilliantly for several years, but the current Reds star has confirmed that there he has a “tense” relationship with his former teammate.

“Yes, there was tension with Sadio,” Salah said in an interview with L’Equipe.

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“Mind you, we were professional until the end, I don’t think it affected the team. It’s human to want more, I understand that, he’s a competitor.

“Off the pitch, we weren’t very close, but we always respected each other.”

The Liverpool star has also responded to Mane’s reported accusations of him being ‘selfish’. He added: “I don’t care. People can think what they want, it’s their right.

“But I invite everyone to note that the person who provided Mané with the most assists is me.

“We can look at the facts, but it’s obviously easier to throw out phrases like that; it makes the headlines, I know how it works.

“As long as it remains within the limits of respect, that’s fine with me. But that doesn’t mean that this opinion is true. At the end of the day, I know what I did, and my conscience is clear.”

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Salah has also lifted the lid on his stance regarding his Liverpool future before he penned a two-year contract extension to commit his future to the champions beyond this summer.

“It was a possibility, yes,” Salah confirmed.

“It was actually a bit strange, we were really going strong this season, and there was this negotiation that wasn’t easy. In the end, all’s well that ends well: we’re champions and I’m staying for two more seasons.”

He added: “I guess it was ultimately a huge advantage because I had the best statistical season of my life.

“The possibility that it would be my last season here, perhaps, gave me the desire to make the most of it and give everything I had to win the title I had promised.

“I had this mindset: if the club doesn’t want to extend my contract, no worries, let’s finish as well as possible so I can leave with a bang.”