Mohamed Salah ignited a fresh Liverpool crisis with explosive post-match comments after being dropped for the third consecutive game by Arne Slot, sparking January transfer speculation

Liverpool have endured a chaotic few days following their dramatic collapse against Leeds, surrendering a 2-0 advantage to draw 3-3 on Saturday, before Mohamed Salah delivered a bombshell post-match interview that rocked the club to its core.

The Egyptian forward's Anfield future now hangs in the balance, with a January departure appearing increasingly probable unless relations are swiftly repaired. His incendiary comments, which sent shockwaves through Merseyside, followed his third consecutive omission from Liverpool's starting line-up.

He spoke of unfulfilled pledges, a deteriorating relationship with boss Arne Slot and feeling "thrown under the bus" by the hierarchy. Slot responded in a must-watch press conference and now, with Salah set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations later this month, he may have already featured in his final match for the Reds, especially after being omitted from the travelling party for the Champions League clash with Inter Milan. Here's all the latest news from Anfield.

Real reason Slot ax ed Salah

Salah claimed he believed his omission was motivated by someone at the club trying to push him out. However, that is allegedly not the case, with club officials reportedly taken aback by his comments at Elland Road.

According to The Athletic, Slot views dropping Salah as a straightforward tactical decision. The choice to deploy Dominik Szoboszlai on the right flank was intended to make the team more defensively solid after shipping so many goals in a run of defeats.

That was the primary reason behind the change, though experimenting with different formations ahead of Salah's AFCON departure also played a role.

Dressing room reaction to Salah-Slot rift

Several Liverpool players noticed Salah's mood change on Friday when he was informed he'd be on the bench for the trip to Leeds.

The forward reportedly argued his case at the training ground, letting Slot know his feelings on the decision, reports the Mirror.

As such, many of his team-mates were "braced" for a public reaction. But while Salah's comments on Saturday didn't come totally out of the blue, most were surprised by just how far he went.

It's understood Salah was surprised when he was first dropped against West Ham - and his mood darkened when he wasn't reinstated to the line-up against Sunderland last week. However, it wasn't until he was dropped against Leeds that he properly snapped.

When questioned by media at the same press conference as Slot, goalkeeper Alisson Becker said: "Him not being available [vs Inter] is a consequence of what he did. He's smart enough to know that. I haven't spoken to Mo about it [in the way that] I want to talk."

He added: "As his team-mates and his friends, we hope the best thing happens for him, but as Liverpool players we want what's best for the club. We want a win-win for him and the club."

Slot's response

Slot said in his press conference that his only communication with Salah post-rant was to let him know he was not travelling to Milan.

He said: "Before Saturday, the two of us have spoken a lot. Sometimes longer and sometimes shorter. It is not the way I feel but he has the right to feel how he feels things. I have not felt that at all until Saturday evening.

"When I don't play him anymore, usually players don't like the manager then that much but he was always respectful to staff members and team-mates. He trained very hard. It was a surprise to me that he gave the comments he gave.

"It is not the first and not the last when a player doesn't play that he says something similar to what he did. My reaction to that is clear, that is that he is not here."

He added: "I am a firm believer that there is always a possibility to return for a player. I can leave it with that."

Slot said he did not feel "undermined" by Salah's comments, but it was not about him, but the team and the club. The Dutch manager added that he would not guess why Salah felt the way he did, aside from not being picked to play.

Slot said: "He has the right to feel what he feels but he doesn't have the right to share it with the media. He does, but then it is up to us to react on it.

"Yes we were [on speaking terms] but it doesn't mean we were always agreeing on things. I spoke to him twice in the week before, two days before Leeds.

"He was on the training ground and I told him he would not travel. That is not speaking with someone; it is, but not having a conversation. I will not go into details."

Klopp in line to replace Alonso

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is feeling the heat at Real Madrid, with rumours swirling that Jurgen Klopp, former Liverpool boss, could step in if he gets the boot.

Despite a promising start to the season, Los Blancos have only managed one win in their last five La Liga games and are now trailing Barcelona by four points following a 2-0 home loss to Celta Vigo on Sunday.

This poor form, coupled with increasing doubts about the team's performance under Alonso's leadership, has sparked chatter that the Spaniard might be shown the door soon. If this happens, Klopp is reportedly among the top contenders for the job, according to El Mundo.

Klopp, who currently holds the position of Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull, was often linked with Real Madrid during his time at Liverpool. However, it's uncertain whether he would consider a return to management, having previously stated that his coaching days were over after leaving Anfield last year.

Should Alonso depart, it could potentially pave the way for Liverpool, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Slot's future. Alonso was Liverpool's first choice to replace Klopp in 2024, and it's believed that interest in the ex-Reds midfielder remains high on Merseyside.