Arne Slot addresses Salah return as Liverpool line up €120m move

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has spoken out on Mohamed Salah’s imminent return to Anfield following AFCON duty.

Salah has missed the Reds’ last five Premier League fixtures, during which they have lost more ground at the top of the table, picking up only a couple of victories.

The relationship between the 33-year-old and Slot had been frosty prior to his departure on international duty as the Dutchman had repeatedly overlooked him for a starting berth, leading to claims that the Liverpool icon could be sold in January.

Salah went so far as to claim that the Reds had “thrown him under a bus”, believing that he had taken an unfair amount of criticism for the club’s poor form.

The issue appears to have been resolved, and Slot is pleased to welcome the attacker back.

FIFA rules mean that Salah cannot feature against Burnley, but he will be available for the Champions League clash with Marseille next week, and that is something that the Liverpool boss is delighted by.

“First of all he needs to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday,” Slot said, referring to the third-place playoff.

“And then he comes back to us and I’m happy that he comes back. Even if I had 15 attackers I still would have been happy that he comes back.”

What is Salah’s state of mind?

Salah seemed upbeat, despite Egypt’s elimination from AFCON in the semi-finals.

He described the experience as the “best camp we’ve ever had” and hailed the togetherness of the squad.

“We’re all close, we love each other, we hang out together, the humour is unbelievable, and we work hard both on and off the pitch,” he claimed.

Liverpool hold advantage in Diomande race

Liverpool target Yan Diomande is set to leave RB Leipzig next summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Although there is interest from Tottenham, Manchester United and Bayern Munich, the Reds appear to have a distinct advantage in the transfer race for the 19-year-old, who is a fan of the Anfield club.

Romano claims that a €120 million deal is extremely likely, but no deal will be agreed before the summer.

Diomande could prove to be a long-term replacement for Salah, who has 18 months left on his current deal at Liverpool and continues to be linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League.