Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk would have known he had a task on his hands after Mohamed Salah’s outburst following their team’s 3-3 draw against Leeds United on Dec. 6. The winger was benched for the third game straight, which clearly didn’t sit right with him as he claimed that he felt he was ‘thrown under the bus’ by the club for their poor showing.
Salah also claimed that his relationship with manager Arne Slot had broken down. So, what did Van Dijk talk about with his teammate in the wake of his explosive comments?
Virgil van Dijk Told Mohamed Salah He Wants Him to Stay
Naturally, Salah’s future at Anfield was put under the spotlight right after that interview. Since then, he has been linked with numerous clubs despite signing a new deal at Liverpool just this April.
Salah’s own comments didn’t seem very reassuring when it came to his immediate future at the club, and Slot too wasn’t too sure of what to say when he was asked if Salah had played his last game for the club. He was subsequently dropped from the squad for their 1-0 UEFA Champions League win over Inter Milan.
During that time, Van Dijk said he had a conversation with Salah and made it clear that he wanted him to stay. The two have been teammates at the club ever since the Dutchman’s high-profile transfer from Southampton in January 2018.
“I wish Mo all the best (at AFCON) and come back hopefully. I have no control over that. I would love to have him around because he is one of my leaders. We will be in contact over the next days and weeks, we always are. And then let’s see. I speak about everything with him. Of course I’ve told him I want him to stay. The rest I’m not going to tell you!,” said Van Dijk (via the Athletic).
“We hope he will be successful at AFCON and we all hope he comes back and is important for us for the rest of the season. But on the other side of it, we all know football and have no idea what will happen. He is still important for the football club but there are more parties to this situation,” the Liverpool captain added.
Salah leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Dec. 15 to represent Egypt.
Liverpool Told Not to Sell Mohamed Salah by Ex-PL Striker
Former Queens Park Rangers (QPR) striker and Liverpool fan Charlie Austin has suggested Liverpool not sell Mohamed Salah in January. The 33-year-old assisted a goal in his team’s 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Dec. 13 at Anfield.
After the full-time whistle, Salah applauded the Kop with tears in his eyes, with some feeling that it was his goodbye to Liverpool fans before departing for international duty. With over a year left on his deal, the Reds could get a decent fee for an unsettled and arguably out-of-form Salah if they decide to cash in on him.
But Austin doesn’t want to see that happen. He said on TalkSPORT: “Liverpool can’t sell Salah. They just can’t. I wish this had happened in April, and then, they would have sold him in the summer, but right now, no chance. He’s too important.”
He went on to say: “Footballers are selfish, and I am speaking from experience. They are the most selfish people, and if Liverpool beat Leeds, he doesn’t come out and say that, but he did. But now I do feel like him being back involved today is that smoothed over. I thought he would start, and that just proves how important he is.”
Salah has 250 goals in 421 appearances for Liverpool since joining from AS Roma in 2017, and has helped Liverpool win all major honours at least once during that time.
