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Mohamed Salah could leave Liverpool in January amid his recent dreadful run of form, according to Wayne Rooney.
Salah, 33, has looked bereft of confidence this season and his massive dip in form has coincided with Liverpool losing four matches in a row, the most recent of which was the 2-1 derby defeat by Manchester United on Saturday.
Last year's Player of the Season, who played an integral role in Liverpool's title win, spurned some golden chances, as he had done in the previous defeat by Chelsea.
Speaking on the BBC's Wayne Rooney Show, the ex-Man United legend said: 'I just think Salah has played a lot of games over the last few years, and he's been the main man, and he's carried that pressure.
'And you're probably in the top five great seven Premier League players, in my opinion. I think it looked like it may be caught up a little bit with him.
'It wouldn't surprise me if in January, or maybe next summer, if he does leave the club. But I've loved watching him, he’s such a fantastic player, but I think it's probably just caught up, cause it does.
Mo Salah (right) had a poor game in Liverpool's defeat by Manchester United on Sunday
Wayne Rooney said he could see Salah leaving Liverpool in January or the summer
'Sometimes you don't want to admit it but the next thing you know, you're gone.'
Salah's contract situation rumbled on in the background all last season, with his future up in the air.
Liverpool fans were desperate for him to put pen to paper on a new deal having scored 29 goals in 38 games and eventually he signed a two-year contract to extend his stay at Anfield. If he was to depart in January or the summer, Saudi Arabia would appear to be the most likely destination.
Rooney went on to add that there's a huge burden added to Salah and Virgil van Dijk, particularly with new signings such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak needing time to settle.
He went on: 'I think they've got a bit complacent to think there's a lot on Salah and Van Dijk and Trent, I think, which took up a lot of energy from a lot of people at Liverpool, and I think they're missing Trent enormously.
'And I think the new players coming into Liverpool, in my opinion, is not as big as Manchester United, but put the massive club around the world and the players they brought in, they're struggling.'
Salah missed two big chances against United and has now gone seven games without a non-penalty goal - his longest ever such drought at the club.
After the game, Jamie Carragher said it is time for Arne Slot to consider dropping Salah for both his own benefit and also the team.
Mo Salah had a poor game in Liverpool's defeat by Manchester United on Sunday
'I think we're at that stage now where Mo Salah shouldn't be a guaranteed starter every week,' Carragher told The Gary Neville Podcast. 'I do think this is a real conundrum for the manager going forward.
'I don't think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it's like 'first name on the team sheet', he added in the Sky Sports studio.
Liverpool have got two away games - in the Champions League at Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford. I don't think Salah should start both of those games.
'He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today.
'But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don't think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he's in.
'Would he be OK with that? Probably not. But when you get to a certain age you have to understand that, especially when you're not playing well, where's your argument?
Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville spoke about Salah's poor form, with the former Liverpool man saying it is time to drop the Egyptian for one of the team's upcoming games
'It's different if you're banging in the goals and your manager makes a tactical decision and you're frustrated. I don't think Mo Salah's in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games.'
Gary Neville, speaking later on The Gary Neville Podcast, echoed Carragher's concerns over Salah and revealed he sees early signs of decline, not physical, but technical.
'There are questions being asked about him, whether it's his age, whether it's one season too many,' Neville said.
'But the strange thing in watching Salah is usually a player getting towards the end of his career, what you notice is the physical decline.
Salah was brought off by Arne Slot on Sunday evening after missing some great chances
'I'm not seeing a physical decline - some of his sprints look quite sharp, he looks busy in the box. But crazy things like the ball comes to the back post... his technique on his kicking and his crossing, that's the thing that looks well off.
'There were a couple of moments today at the back post where you're thinking, 'that's not Mo Salah'. He had that moment where he dragged it really ugly towards the left of the post. That's just his technique.
'Mo Salah could probably play until he's 52 and have good technique, so that's the bit that's surprising me, the technical bit.'
Liverpool have a wealth of attacking options but Arne Slot has always been reluctant to even bring Salah off - though he did replace him against United.
It will be fascinating to see how both the Egyptian and his boss manage the next few games, starting with Liverpool's tricky trip to face Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday.
