Ibrahima Konaté was quizzed on whether Mohamed Salah has already made his final appearance for Liverpool.
Ibrahima Konaté was speaking to French television following Liverpool’s win over Brighton on Saturday, where he was asked about Mohamed Salah’s future at the club.
The centre-back was quizzed on whether he believes Salah has already played his final match for Liverpool after the forward acknowledged the Anfield crowd at full-time — and Konaté’s reply was revealing.
In his explosive interview on December 6, Salah had hinted that the Premier League fixture against Brighton might be his last appearance for the Reds, with the Africa Cup of Nations approaching.
The 33-year-old’s future has been the subject of intense speculation after he claimed Liverpool had thrown him “under the bus” during a difficult start to the 2025–26 season, while also suggesting his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had broken down.
Following his comments after the 2–2 draw with Leeds United, Salah was omitted from Slot’s squad for the midweek Champions League victory over Inter Milan. However, talks between player and manager on Friday paved the way for his return to the matchday squad against Brighton.
Named on the bench, Salah was introduced in the 26th minute after Joe Gomez was forced off injured. He went on to provide a second-half assist for Hugo Ekitike in the 2–0 win, a contribution that saw him surpass Wayne Rooney’s record for the most goal involvements for a single club in Premier League history, moving to 277.
After the final whistle, Salah was seen smiling as he applauded the Kop, with supporters serenading him with the familiar “Mo Salah running down the wing” chant.
Despite that show of affection, uncertainty remains over his future ahead of the January transfer window. Konaté, though, appeared to offer reassurance when speaking to Canal+.
“Personally, no, I don’t think so,” he said when asked if Salah had played his last game for Liverpool. “You could see today how much he loves this club. People have to understand the frustration players can feel when they’ve had such a career and given so much.”
He added: “He’s a player everyone loves — the coach loves him, he loves the coach. At this club, everyone loves each other.”
Interest in Salah would be inevitable should he decide to move on. Earlier this week, Saudi Pro League chief executive Omar Mugharbel confirmed that several Saudi clubs are keen on the forward.
“Muhammad Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but negotiations are handled by the clubs,” he said at the World Football Summit. “He is certainly one of the targets.”
According to The Telegraph, Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, Al Ahli and Al Qadsiah are all prepared to make an approach.
Meanwhile, Arne Slot also addressed Salah’s situation after the Brighton match, confirming he expects the winger to return after AFCON duty.
“Yes. He is a Liverpool player and when he’s here, I want to use him when we need him,” Slot said. “He didn’t start today, as in recent games, but before that he started almost every match. He gave the performance you’d expect.”
Slot added: “He was close to another assist, nearly scored when Federico [Chiesa] set him up, and he was a constant threat — which is very important.”
