Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

There was rejoicing among Liverpool fans when Mohamed Salah signed a new two-year contract in April 2025.

The future seemed set fair. It was, then, a surprise how Salah's form failed him this season, although - like the rest of the club and its supporters - he was left heartbroken by the death of much-loved team-mate Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash in July.

Much of Liverpool's grief remained private, so the full toll this took is unknown, but Salah showed his emotions in the opening Premier League game of the season against Bournemouth at Anfield.

Salah used Jota's trademark goal celebration after scoring Liverpool's final goal in a 4-2 win, then was moved to tears in front of the Kop as he applauded fans following the final whistle when they sang the Portuguese's song.

The subsequent decline in his form resulted in him being dropped to the bench for three successive games in six days, leading to his incendiary interview after he sat and watched a 3-3 draw against Leeds United on 6 December.

Salah's public spat with Slot and his denunciation of the club brought the heaviest criticism of his time at Liverpool, but any tarnishing was surely temporary as he was soon rehabilitated - albeit not as the force he once was.

The legacy will always be untarnished and intact.

When the dust settles, no-one could argue against the simple fact that Mohamed Salah has been one of the greatest players ever to pull on a red shirt.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool team-mate Andy Robertson on Instagram: "Mohamed, Thank you.

"9 of the best years of our lives with amazing memories on and off the pitch. Watching you become the best at what you do and become one of the best to ever have worn the Liverpool shirt has been a joy to watch and be part of.

"Your mentality is second to none and a lot of people could take note. You have pushed yourself every single day and always demanded more from yourself and others.

"A pleasure sharing the pitch with you for so long but even more so being able to call you a friend.

"You deserve a send off that reflects your status at LFC - the greatest. Second to none."

Easily top five ever, says Dyl.

So where does he rank among the Premier League's greatest forwards?

Have a play below and rank wisely...

In the Premier League, Mohamed Salah has made 310 appearances for Liverpool, with 189 goals and 92 assists. This total of 281 goal contributions is the biggest for one club in Premier League history, five more than Wayne Rooney for Manchester United.

Image source, Getty Images

Stephen Warnock
Former Liverpool defender on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast

He's been phenomenal. The level of consistency that it takes to to achieve what he's achieved. The sacrifice behind the scenes is just phenomenal.

Doing it from that right wing position rather than being a striker, the numbers that he's stacked up are phenomenal.

He's been part of the recent history, the 10 years where Jurgen Klopp came in, transformed the club and got them back onto the European scale of trying to compete for trophies, winning Premier Leagues - he's been a huge, huge part of that.

As a former Liverpool player and a Liverpool fan growing up, you have to admire everything about him and he absolutely goes down as a legend of the club.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool team-mate Joe Gomez reacts to Salah leaving on Instagram: "One of the greatest to ever wear the shirt. It’s been a pleasure having the countless hours watching your greatness first hand in so many ways.

"Everyone knows about your mentality and work ethic — the numbers just cement your legacy forever.

"Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. I’ll always be grateful for our friendship over all these years ❤️.

"Can’t wait to see you celebrated until the very end."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, speaking on Mohamed Salah's BBC documentary: "I wouldn't say he is easy to manage, but he is also not difficult to manage.

"You [only] have problems with Mo Salah if he is not playing or you take him off. He always developed. He never stops. That is his mindset.

"After each summer break, he came back and had a new skill. It was like he had spent the whole time just practising one particular type of pass.

"We pushed each other, just to make sure that we would never stop. And we never did stop.

"That moment lifting the Premier League bonded us for life. He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time."

The journey may be slowly coming to an end but what a journey it was to get there.

Here's how Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah defied the odds and never gave up on his challenging journey from rural Egypt to become a professional footballer.

Aadam Patel
Liverpool football reporter

It wasn't meant to end like this - with Mohamed Salah essentially agreeing to cut short his contract and Liverpool letting him leave on a free this summer.

Less than a year ago, Salah was sitting on a throne inside Anfield after renewing his contract and signing a deal until the summer of 2027.

His previous deal was set to expire in the 2025 but, given his numbers last season, where he topped the goalscoring and assist charts in the Premier League, the Liverpool hierarchy had no choice but to offer him a new deal.

Yet by December, Salah was benched - then left out of the squad entirely - after his explosive mixed zone interview at Leeds, where he claimed that his relationship with Slot had broken down and that someone at the club wanted him out.

Those close to Salah say he was always going to speak at Elland Road, regardless of the result, and that his initial discontent had started when he was benched for a Champions League game away at Eintracht Frankfurt in October, a match Liverpool won 5-1.

Liverpool

Here is Liverpool's statement:

Mohamed Salah is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool FC at the end of the 2025-26 season.

The forward has reached an agreement with the Reds that will see him close a remarkable nine-year chapter at Anfield.

Salah expressed his wish to make this announcement to the supporters at the earliest possible opportunity to provide transparency about his future due to his respect and gratitude for them.

Signed from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, the No.11 has firmly established himself as one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s history, helping the club to two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups, as well as an FA Community Shield.

His tally of 255 goals in 435 appearances to date has the Egyptian sitting third on the Reds’ all-time leading goalscorers chart, winning the Premier League Golden Boot on four occasions in addition to a host of personal accolades.

With plenty still left to play for this season, Salah is firmly focused on trying to achieve the best possible finish to the campaign for Liverpool and, therefore, the time to fully celebrate his legacy and achievements will follow later in the year when he bids farewell to Anfield.

Mohamed Salah's statement, released at 18:33 on Tuesday evening, announcing he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season:

"Hello everyone. Unfortunately the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.

"I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life. Liverpool is not just a football club. It's a passion. It's a history. It's a spirit. I can't explain it in words to anyone not part of this club.

"We celebrated victory. We won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our life.

"I want to thank everyone who was part of this club throughout my time here, especially the team-mates, past and present.

"And to the fans, I don't have enough words. The support you showed me through the best time of my career and you stood by me in the toughest times. It's something I will never forget and I something I will take with me always.

"Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life, I will be always one of you. The club will always be my home, to me and to my family.

"Thank you for everything. Because of all of you I will never walk alone."

Image source, Getty Images

Well, that one came out of the blue last night, didn't it?

Mohamed Salah announced that he will bring the curtain down on his Liverpool career upon the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.

It was breaking news that shook the football world on Tuesday evening and reaction has been flooding in ever since.

This page will bring you all of that this morning, plus be the go-to place for you to have your say on it all.

Let's kick things off with that bombshell statement that dropped just over 12 hours ago.