Mohamed Salah Delivers Brutally Honest Take on Liverpool's Transformation at PFA Awards

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah claimed his record-breaking third PFA Player of the Year trophy on Tuesday, though he provided an amusing moment during his speech at the awards ceremony.

Salah made Premier League history by becoming the first player to secure the honor three times (2018, '22 and '25), highlighting his exceptional consistency for the Merseyside club. The Egyptian forward was instrumental in Liverpool's championship-winning season, recording 29 goals and 18 assists - both topping the league charts.

As the 2025-26 Premier League season has begun, Salah was questioned about how this year's revamped Liverpool lineup compares to the previous campaign's squad.

"Is this team you're playing in this season even better than last year's title-winning side?"

"No," Salah responded without hesitation.

He then smiled and provided more context:

"Well, it's complicated. I can't give a simple yes or no answer, it's just complicated. You're bringing in very talented, skilled players, while also losing some excellent ones. You know what also occurred with one of our colleagues [Diogo Jota]. You also need to share your knowledge with the newcomers because they've never experienced Liverpool, and performing at Liverpool isn't easy at all with the media attention surrounding the club. ... We attempt, myself and Virgil [Van Dijk] and the veteran players on the squad try to share our knowledge and support them both on and off the pitch."

It's a candidly honest response from Salah, who now operates in a significantly altered attacking setup following Luis Diaz's departure and Jota's passing. During the recent transfer window, Liverpool notably acquired 23-year-old French forward Hugo Ekitike and made a substantial investment in coveted Bayer Leverkusen creative midfielder Florian Wirtz. Additionally, there's ongoing speculation surrounding Alexander Isak and Newcastle as Isak seeks to join the reigning champions before the Sept. 1 transfer window closes.

There's little question Liverpool bolstered their squad depth after capturing the Premier League crown last season, and their championship defense has begun positively with Ekitike and Salah each scoring in their 4-2 opening victory over Bournemouth.

Nevertheless, it's evident Salah harbors some concerns about building rapport with this season's considerably younger and relatively inexperienced roster for understandable reasons.