Managerial appointment 'changed everything' for Salah as he handed blow

Mohamed Salah is set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season - and while his landing spot remains unclear, a potential move to one club is certainly off the table

Mohamed Salah could have wound up at Paris Saint-Germain before Luis Enrique reportedly shut down the idea. The 33-year-old is now gearing up to take on the French heavyweights and reigning Champions League holders in the competition at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night at 8pm.

At the conclusion of the campaign, Salah will also say goodbye to the club after nine years on Merseyside. While his next move remains unknown, he was previously earmarked for a switch to PSG.

Spanish publication AS reports that the Ligue 1 champions considered a swoop for Salah as a possible successor to Lionel Messi, but Enrique is said to have vetoed the proposal following his arrival in 2023, maintaining he 'did not want major stars' brought into his squad.

PSG then turned their attention to alternative options. Reports in France at the time claimed that PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi had held talks with the Liverpool striker back in 2023 but that was subsequently dismissed by Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa.

"He did not [meet him]. That's the short story," Issa wrote on X. Al-Khelaifi also refuted the claims at the time, adding: "It's not true.

"He's a fantastic and amazing player, but we've never considered him, to be honest. We know every club would love to have him, but this rumour about us is simply not true."

Al-Khelaifi then moved to emphasise the club's dedication to nurturing young talent. He continued: "There are a lot of rumours about players, but we are very clear. We have one of the youngest teams in Europe, if not the youngest, with an average age of 22.5 years.

"We're building a team for the future with our amazing coach. We have a long-term plan with this team and coach.

"Our players are united, and it's a fantastic group with a great atmosphere.

"In my opinion, we have the best coach in the world right now. He's building a project for the future."

Should AS' report prove accurate and Enrique remains at the helm - with L'Equipe reporting that PSG are now looking to hand him a fresh contract - Salah appears highly unlikely to get the opportunity to sign for the French giants.

Over nine remarkable seasons at Anfield, the Egypt skipper has landed two Premier League titles, the Champions League, two Carabao Cups, the 2022 FA Cup and the club's historic first-ever Club World Cup back in December 2019.