Ciaran Morrison
Thu 18 December 2025 7:00, UK
Mohamed Salah is more likely to quit Liverpool for Saudi Arabia in January after Brendan Rodgers became the new manager of Al Qadsiah.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes Rodgers is the calibre of manager that Salah will want to work with.
Rodgers accepted the job at Al Qadsiah just seven weeks after resigning from his post as Celtic manager, despite links to Premier League clubs.
Salah is highly likely to move to Saudi in the January transfer window following his comments towards Liverpool and manager Arne Slot.
Mo Salah agent ‘very clever’ amid expected Saudi move
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – thinks Rodgers’ appointment is another “big signal” that Salah will move to Saudi.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness is certain a move will come about for Salah.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, interesting news now is that Brendan Rodgers has gone to Saudi with one of the clubs I know very well. James Bisgrove, the former Rangers CEO, is the CEO at Al-Qadsiah. They’re really funded and run by Aramco, the world’s biggest company.
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“Fascinating situation. And James has done a superb job, I’ve got to say. Now, although Brendan Rodgers never had Salah when he was at Liverpool. I think there was about two seasons that they didn’t overlap. Nevertheless, he is the quality of manager that would be a big signal.
“And I think that’s something that could actually speed things up for a January signing. Again, as I say, I think some of Salah’s comments were a little bit premeditated. His agent’s very clever. Ramy Abbas Issa is well known and a very good operator. And so if they knew that something like Brendan was coming down there.
“So they’ve got a top quality manager who knows how to handle Premier League players and has done it very successfully, and Liverpool players obviously, then I think that is another condition that would point to something happening in January. I think there’s been a lot of talk, this has been going on for the last few seasons, so it won’t be hard to resurrect offers that everybody knows are acceptable.
“So I think we could see something happening in January. But of course, it could easily slip until the summer. It depends what both parties want and what makes sense. But there will definitely be something happening either in January or in the summer, that’s for sure.”
Mohamed Salah in a Liverpool hoodie
Credit: Imago
Liverpool could still keep Salah
Salah has been told how he could stay at Liverpool, with the forward still having work to do to repair the relationship between himself and Slot.
The 33-year-old came off the bench against Brighton, and the Liverpool fans cheered Salah when his name was announced pre-match.
Salah is now representing Egypt at the African Cup of Nations and will miss Liverpool’s next three Premier League fixtures.