Florian Wirtz has been pinpointed as the catalyst for Mohamed Salah's fury, according to reports. The Egyptian legend sent shockwaves through the football world when he criticised Liverpool and manager Arne Slot following last Saturday's 3-3 draw with Leeds United.

Salah, 33, accused the Reds of making him a scapegoat for their lacklustre Premier League title defence and claimed his once strong relationship with Slot has diminished. As a result of his comments, the winger was left out of Liverpool's squad for their 1-0 Champions League victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday.

Seen as one of the role models and leaders in the Liverpool dressing room, a sensational report from BILDsuggests that Wirtz's status as the future of the team is at the heart of Salah's animosity. The report also labelled the forward as the enemy within the Reds' dressing room.

Salah's relegation to the bench in the last three league games, with the German starting in all of them, has reportedly not gone down well with the competitive Egyptian. Liverpool are said to have long known that Salah possesses the biggest ego at the club but given his extraordinary record of goals and assists, it was accepted. However, the report adds that should the winger's level of end product decline, the support he enjoys from the club will no longer be there.

The report goes on to suggest that his harsh remarks about the club demonstrate a lack of consideration for his team-mates, highlighted by his silence during the criticism Wirtz has faced in what has been a sluggish beginning to his Anfield journey. Although it's been just eight months since Salah penned a fresh two-year contract extending his Liverpool stay until 2027, questions remain over whether the club legend has donned the red shirt for the final time.

Liverpool's massive £450million summer spending spree appeared designed to help Salah maintain his longevity by providing additional attacking support to the club's record Premier League goalscorer. Nevertheless, the disappointing performances of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak following their hefty transfers to Merseyside has resulted in Liverpool losing much of the attacking fluidity that powered them to a commanding league triumph just months earlier.

During Jamie Carragher's eight-minute tirade on Monday Night Football about Salah's post-Leeds remarks, the Sky Sports pundit claimed Salah "let himself down" when he chose not to set up Wirtz for what would have been a simple tap-in during the 22-year-old's struggle in the 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in October.

Carragher stated: "Where he really let himself down, in my eyes, was this season in Frankfurt and in another game. Where there's a guy who signed for Liverpool who needs a goal more than anyone, Florian Wirtz. "Instead of being a great player for the club, be a great ambassador for the club and roll that ball to him for an easy tap-in and go over and give him a hug and say, 'You're the guy that's going to take this Liverpool team forward. I don't need anymore goals'."

During his comments at Elland Road, Salah confessed he is uncertain about what lies ahead for him after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in January. "I could not believe I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes," the 33-year-old said. That's the third time. It's the first time in my career I think.

"I am very disappointed, I have done so much for this club over years, especially last season, It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That's how I feel [about] it. Someone wants me to get all the blame. The club promised me a lot in summer. Now I'm on bench so I can say they haven't kept those promises. I used to have a good relationship (with Slot). Now we don't have any relationship and I don't know why. It seems like someone does not want me in the club.

"I called my mum and dad and told them to come to the Brighton game. It doesn't matter if I play or not. I'm going to enjoy it. I am just going to be at Anfield and say goodbye to the fans before the African Cup of Nations, because I don't know what is going to happen when I am there. It's not acceptable to me to be fair. If I was somewhere else,every club would protect its players. Now it's: 'Throw Mo under the bus because he is a problem in a team.'"