Arne Slot appeared to take a pointed swipe at Mohamed Salah during a tense press conference on Friday, adding another layer to the already strained relationship between the Liverpool manager and his star winger.
The tension stems from comments Salah made earlier this week to Sky Sports, where the Egyptian expressed concerns about the mentality within the current Liverpool squad. "You need people to come early to the gym and people look at them – 'Oh he go to the gym, so I need to go'," Salah said, highlighting what he sees as a need for stronger leadership and work ethic.
Salah, 33, is known for regularly sharing workout photos on social media, and has continued to do so while recovering from a thigh injury that has limited his playing time in what is expected to be his final month as a Reds player before departing this summer.
When Slot addressed the media on Friday, he initially fielded questions about Liverpool's on-field leadership and mentality for broadcast outlets. But it was during a later exchange with the written press, when asked about Salah's comments, that the tension became palpable.
"The standards are not only important in the gym. It's also on the pitch, OK? You understand me? Without me saying anything?" Slot responded, according to The Times.
The remark is difficult to interpret as anything other than a pointed critique of Salah's focus on gym work versus matchday performance—a delicate subject given the winger's declining output this season compared to his usual high standards.
This isn't the first sign of friction between the pair. Back in December, Salah publicly stated that his relationship with Slot had deteriorated after being benched for three games in a week and not featuring in two of them. The two reportedly smoothed things over enough for Salah to return to action just before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations.
With Salah's future at Anfield uncertain and these public exchanges becoming more frequent, all eyes will be on how this dynamic plays out in the final weeks of the season—both on the pitch and in the gym.