"I am not surprised" – Liverpool head coach Arne Slot breaks silence on Mohamed Salah links to Saudi Arabia

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has shared his honest thoughts on Mohamed Salah, who is in the final five months of his contract, recently being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this week, Salah was reportedly named as a transfer target for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal, who recently lost Brazil international Neymar. His future was also discussed by Saudi Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal in a recent chat with English broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Ahead of Liverpool's Premier League contest at Bournemouth this Saturday (February 1), Slot was asked to opine on the recent speculations involving the Egyptian forward. He responded (h/t Liverpool Echo):

"It would be a surprise if anyone said they didn't want Mo Salah! He has done so well for so many years and he has done so well without my advice so he can keep doing what is best for his career."

Sharing more thoughts on Salah's future, the Dutchman concluded:

"My advice is different to the one you just mentioned [Saudi Minister of Sport's comments]. I am not surprised someone wants him. He has done so many smart things in his career, so he will make the right decision for him and hopefully us in his career."

So far this campaign, Salah has started 30 of his 32 appearances across all competitions for the Reds. The 32-year-old has scored 23 goals and contributed 17 assists in 2690 minutes of action for his club.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot hails Bournemouth

At a pre-match press conference, Arne Slot was asked how important of a match is the Reds' next Premier League clash at Bournemouth. The ex-Feyenoord boss responded (h/t Liverpool Echo):

"It's a big one. I knew this when we played the second half in the home game. We were 3-0 up at half-time but they kept on going at us. That showed me the character. Since then, they have been outstanding. [Andoni Iraola's] players work incredibly hard. In a different way to Arsenal, they are a threat at set-pieces. Maybe they deserve to be higher than the position they are at the moment."

Liverpool, who are atop the Premier League table with 53 points from 22 matches, have won four and lost two of their last eight overall matches.

Bournemouth, who are seventh with 40 points from 23 league outings, have registered eight wins and four draws in their past 12 total games.