Mohamed Salah's future at Liverpool is uncertain and if the 'Egyptian King' leaves Anfield this summer, his next destination appears likely to be Saudi Arabia.
Despite Arne Slot unexpectedly filling Jurgen Klopp's boots with apparent ease and the Reds topping both the Premier League and the Champions League, the expiry of the contracts of three first-team stars remains painfully lingering.
Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have not yet agreed new deals and will all leave the club in its current form in the summer. While it seems likely that the Dutch defender will remain on Merseyside, and Alexander-Arnold's choice appears to be between the glory of his home city and the bright, white light of Real Madrid, the Saudi Pro League for Salah is always seen as the next logical step.
The Middle East would promise Salah a contract that simply could not be matched by his current employers. Saudi leaders made their intentions clear during the summer of 2023 – and their desire to pull him away from the Premier League remains as strong as ever.
Al-Hilal interest
Reigning champions Al-Hilal have recently emerged as the best candidate to secure his signature should he make the move – and a recent revelation about the transfer could boost such efforts.
The team's current star player is Brazilian icon Neymar. However, following a lengthy absence due to injury and given an apparent desire to leave, negotiations have reportedly begun between the 32-year-old and Eastern Conference MLS club Chicago Fire.
Furthermore, as manager Jorge Jesus confirmed, Neymar is not registered for league matches by Al-Hilal. This means he would only be available for Asian Champions League matches if he remained in Saudi Arabia.
With the 19-time league winners looking likely to lose their marquee player, Salah would be the perfect replacement and could become the face of the expanded Club World Cup they will compete in in June and July.
To all but confirm Al-Hilal's interest, one of the most influential figures in Saudi Arabian sport, Turki Alalshikh, posted a fake photo of Salah in the club's shirt on Facebook earlier this month. Alalshikh is the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia.
Rejection of £150 million
However, two years ago another Saudi Pro League club attempted to secure Salah's services. During the 2023 summer transfer deadline window, a huge bid for the Egyptian came from Al-Ittihad, who reportedly put a fee of £150 million on the table.
Salah had only just signed a three-year extension the year before and remained Liverpool's brightest star. So the mouth-watering offer – and the 32-year-old's contract was said to have paid £1.5million per week – was quickly rejected.
Klopp, the Reds' boss at the time, stated at the time that the club's “position remains the same”, insisting: “There is no doubt about that. We can't do that [sell Salah]. That's how it is.” But Al-Ittihad continued to make plans, with reports suggesting that an attempt in the region of £200 million had been prepared but never submitted.
Salah's confession
Salah has been quite candid about his contract story, repeating the idea that he is “more out than in” and that this would be his “last year at the club”. He also previously clarified his views on a trip to the Middle East.
In 2016, speaking to Sport360 while plying his trade for Roma, Salah admitted: “I don't know what the future holds, but I would definitely agree to a professional career in Saudi Arabia.”
Although this view was expressed almost a decade ago, it still speaks volumes about how highly Salah values such a move – one that current Saudi Pro League sporting director Michael Emenalo hopes can be completed.
“I think it depends on Mo,” Emenalo told the Obi One Podcast last October. “The stories that our teams were going after him were true, it's true, there was interest. “It's okay that I have an interest in signing Mo, but the club has to have an interest in letting him go and if those things aren't in line then you don't have a deal.”
Emenalo then cited that Salah's desire to leave Anfield in 2023 was not strong as he felt he had “unfinished business”. If he were to claim trophies for his goals this campaign, and lead the Reds to a few pieces of silverware, perhaps such a case would be considered done.
Comments