Fresh light shed on Mohamed Salah and Jürgen Klopp spat as dream Arne Slot squad picked
Liverpool's farewell to Jürgen Klopp isn't going at all to plan. Arne Slot is set to take over in the summer, and will be inheriting a squad where things have turned a little sour.
At the start of last month, though quadruple dreams had recently been ended by Manchester United in the FA Cup, a treble was still very much on. At the very least, Liverpool was favorite for the Europa League, with a potential trophy parade penciled in as the perfect chance to say goodbye to a manager who has achieved so much.
Klopp will still get a huge send-off from the Kop in his final match at Anfield, but there will be no parade, with Liverpool set to end the season with only February's Carabao Cup to its name. Of course, the last few weeks are a mere footnote in the German's spell at the club, and will not in any way define it, but it's hard not to be deflated that he will not be getting what he deserves.
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A touchline spat between Klopp and Mohamed Salah against West Ham United only served to emphasize that this is not at all how things were supposed to go. Two paragons of the illustrious era that is now coming to an end, it was an ugly scene for Liverpool.
But there won't be any lasting damage; it's thought that Slot will be able to count on Salah next season. The Egyptian is just one of many gifted players that Klopp is leaving behind, with his successor given ample tools to shape a new era. Here's two Liverpool.com stories from today that you don't want to miss.
West Ham star weighs in on Mohamed Salah and Jürgen Klopp argument
It was pretty inevitable we'd be hearing from Michail Antonio at some point about the Salah and Klopp incident. The West Ham striker has a podcast, and he's rarely shy when it comes to talking about Liverpool.
Speaking on the Footballer’s Football Podcast, Antonio admitted he was not on hand to hear the incident himself. But he revealed that it has been the talk of the West Ham dressing room, and that one account of events has been doing the rounds.
“So basically, this is not inside information, but what I have heard, this is what the boys have been talking about on the training ground," teased Antonio.
“As players come on, Klopp usually gives them a big hug, but when Mo came on he walked in a different direction and did his shin pads and stuff. Klopp put his hand out to him and his hand was there for a bit and he just slapped his hand.
“Klopp didn’t like that and was like ‘do you want to sit back down?’, basically saying 'do you want to go on?' And nobody has told me what Mo said back.”
This seems to back up what the footage suggests, in terms of the terse handshake being the spark. But the root of the hostility is almost certainly Klopp's decision to leave Salah on the bench for so long. Read the full story from James Findlater here.
Dream Liverpool squad for Arne Slot
It will soon be up to Slot to resolve Salah's role in the side, if the Dutchman's appointment is confirmed as expected. But while that could prove to be a thorny issue, he will undoubtedly be eager to work with such a world-class player.
Klopp previously urged his at-the-time-unknown successor to remember the young talents coming through at Liverpool, which is another thing to factor into the recruitment picture. Those decisions will ultimately be led by Michael Edwards and new sporting director Richard Hughes.
But while a hugely busy summer probably isn't on the cards for Slot, he's not far away from a dream Liverpool squad. Crysencio Summerville is one interesting name to have emerged, while defensive reinforcements are likely too. Read the full story from Matt Addison by clicking here.