Troy Deeney Insists Liverpool Star Should Exit Immediately Despite 3–0 Marseille Victory

Troy Deeney has made a striking claim that Liverpool should offload one of their biggest names before the January transfer window closes, even after their impressive 3–0 victory over Marseille on Wednesday night. The Reds produced a controlled, professional display despite the hostile atmosphere inside the Stade Vélodrome.

According to Deeney, though, Liverpool will struggle to reach the next level unless they move on from a star player sooner rather than later. The former striker believes the Premier League champions’ evolving style shows they may have moved beyond Mohamed Salah.

Deeney Urges January Exit for Salah

Salah had a subdued outing in France, having been reinstated straight into the starting XI following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. During the tournament, he scored four goals and registered one assist in six appearances, helping Egypt reach the semi-finals before they were knocked out by eventual winners Senegal, led by his former teammate Sadio Mané.

With Liverpool finding greater attacking success through players like Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, Deeney feels Salah’s influence is waning. Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, he suggested that an early separation would benefit both the club and the player.

Deeney cited the surrounding noise and ego, combined with Liverpool’s desire to move forward, as reasons why the partnership may no longer work long-term. While praising Salah as one of Liverpool’s all-time greats — arguably the best of his generation alongside Steven Gerrard — Deeney insisted a swift resolution would be preferable to a drawn-out situation. He also pointed out that Salah has played little part in Liverpool’s recent 13-game unbeaten run.

Numbers and a New Direction

Although Salah completed the full 90 minutes against Marseille, his stats were underwhelming: two shots off target, a missed clear opportunity, just 13 completed passes, and nine possessions lost from 28 touches.

In previous seasons under Jürgen Klopp — and even last term — Liverpool’s tactics were heavily built around maximising Salah’s output, a formula that delivered record-breaking goal contributions and multiple individual honours. This season, however, Arne Slot is charting a different course.

Liverpool’s attacking threat is now more evenly distributed, with creativity and goals shared among Wirtz, Ekitike and Dominik Szoboszlai, as well as contributions from full-backs and deeper midfielders like Ryan Gravenberch. There is also a stronger emphasis on collective defensive work, which has helped tighten a defence that initially looked vulnerable.

While this campaign was always expected to be transitional, Slot’s new approach is beginning to click at a crucial moment. With Liverpool proving increasingly hard to beat, they are well positioned to challenge in cup competitions and solidify a top-four Premier League finish — keeping them firmly among Europe’s elite next season.