Salah and Van Dijk letting Liverpool down – Wayne Rooney

Robin Bairner

27 Oct 2025 13:57 GMT
4 min read

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk have let Liverpool down this season, according to former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who says the form of the pair should be a “big concern” for Arne Slot.

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Liverpool slipped to a stunning 3-2 loss against Brentford away from home on Saturday, meaning the defending Premier League champions have lost each of their last three league outings as well as four of their last five overall.

Slot’s side had more than €450 million invested in it during the summer, but with scant return so far on offer, Rooney has pointed the finger at senior players Salah and Van Dijk, who both signed new contracts with the Anfield club last summer.

Compared

Mohamed Salah

F (CR), M (R)

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah

F (CR), M (R)

Liverpool

VS

Virgil van Dijk

D (C)

Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk

D (C)

Liverpool

€37.7M	ETV	€9.5M
€33.9M - €41.4M	ETV Range	€8.1M - €10.9M
33 years old (15 Jun, 1992)	Age	34 years old (08 Jul, 1991)
Egypt	Nationality	Netherlands

Liverpool lacking leadership, says Rooney

Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Show, he said: “No-one has seen this coming, it's hit them quick, it's hit them hard and I think they're struggling to find a way out of it

“This is a time where the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly.

“Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they've signed new deals but I don't think they've really led that team this season.

“I think body language tells you a lot, and I think we're seeing slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players in that team and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else.

“I might be wrong on this, but if I was a Liverpool fan or the manager, that would be a big concern for me.”

Salah has been particularly criticised in recent weeks for his lack of offensive quality, having come off perhaps the best individual season in Premier League history.

Liverpool’s summer spending spree, meanwhile, has yet to benefit the team, with the only new signing to have hit the ground running attacker Hugo Ekitike.

This has led to speculation that Slot could be sacked and Jurgen Klopp reinstated as manager 18 months after leaving the club.

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