Image Credits: Imago Images
Mohamed Salah and his words at Elland Road last weekend were always going to wet the appetite of the Saudi Pro League. The division has made no secret of their admiration for the Liverpool No.11, and the very public spat between player and club would have been music to their ears. There has already been plenty of reliable reports coming through this week that Saudi clubs will be pushing for the Egyptian in the winter window. The allure of Saudi Arabia’s football revolution has proven irresistible to some of the game’s biggest names in recent years, with unprecedented financial packages. Now, as Saudi chiefs circle with open checkbooks and clear intent, the question becomes not if Salah might leave, but when.
Omar Mughrabel, President of the Saudi Professional Football League, has commented on the situation. Speaking to AsharqAl-Awsat, Mughrabel has predicably announced that Salah is welcome to come to the Middle East: “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players for sure Salah is one of them.” All Liverpool fans are aware at how the division courted Salah in both 2023 and 2024, but he opted to stay. Of course, at that time, he was not embroiled in a high profile spat with the club and the manager.
Earlier this year in May, after signing his current deal, Salah admitted that he still maintains contact with the Saudi Pro League: “I will stop playing when I have that feeling but if you ask me for my opinion, I think I can play until the age of 39 or 40. But if I felt before that I wanted to stop, I would quit. I have achieved a lot of things. I thought it was a good opportunity. My contract was up at Liverpool and I would have gone to Saudi but we finalised the deal with Liverpool. And I still have a good relationship with them and I always stay in contact with them. Yes, we were talking to each other,” Salah explained. “I don’t know what is going to happen but I am happy here in Liverpool and I am staying here for the next two years. Then I will see what I will do next.” By the time his contract expires, the Egyptian forward will be 35 years old.
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