Salah went to the media after being benched for a third consecutive outing in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds on Sunday, claiming to have been thrown “under the bus” by the club and that he doesn’t have a relationship with manager Arne Slot anymore.

The Egyptian has opened the door to an imminent Anfield exit when he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations in January, which would see Liverpool’s third all-time top goalscorer leave the club on sour terms.

Michael Owen experienced such an imperfect departure when he swapped boyhood club Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004 - and while he previously came to the aid of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold when he made the same move to the ire of Reds fans, Owen cannot defend the actions of Salah. Please review your details and accept them to load

See Full Page