According to Lewis Steele on Anfield Index's Media Matters, Mohamed Salah's departure from Liverpool has been in motion since December, instigated by the player and his agent Ramy Abbas. Steele emphasized that this wasn't a sudden decision but the culmination of months of strategic planning, contrary to recent media narratives.
The surprise element, as Steele noted, isn't Salah's exit itself but that Liverpool will lose him without compensation. 'The fact he's leaving wasn't the surprise. It was the fact he's leaving for nothing, which is a surprise,' Steele explained. He expressed 85-90% confidence that Salah will join a Saudi Arabian club, suggesting the player already has a clear picture of his next destination.