Mohamed Salah opened the door to an exit from Liverpool with his explosive comments earlier in December, with Saudi Arabia the most likely destination in January
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool applauds the fans after during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park on December 04, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Mohamed Salah is staying with Liverpool - for now(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Mohamed Salah will remain at Liverpool beyond the January transfer window after a cooling of interest from Saudi Arabia. Salah’s most likely exit from Anfield involved the Middle East, but that possibility has faded in the weeks since his explosive interview.
When Salah unloaded to reporters at Elland Road at the start of December, accusing Arne Slot of throwing him under the bus, the chances of him leaving in January appeared high. Salah claimed to have no relationship with his manager and was furious at his lack of game time.
But tensions have cooled over time, with Slot and Salah holding clear-the-air talks before the 33-year-old came off the bench in a win over Brighton. He then departed to play for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, putting distance between himself and Liverpool.
Salah is under contract until June 2027, with Liverpool paying him £350,000 per week, making the Saudi Pro League one of the few feasible destinations. But his reconciliation with Slot appears to have put off his admirers in the Middle Eastern country – at least for now.
The i reports that interest has diminished from top Saudi clubs, who sense little opportunity to do business in January. While he would remain a prize catch for the league, the recruitment of younger stars demonstrates a move away from big fish like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
It was previously reported that Saudi clubs Al-Hilal, Al-Qadisah and Neom were interested in signing Salah. And it remains a possibility down the line after Pro League chief Omar Mugharbel confirmed earlier this month that “Salah is welcome” in Saudi.
The flirtation between the two parties is nothing new. Liverpool rejected an £150million offer from Al-Ittihad in September 2023 and have constantly had to deal with speculation linking their star player with a move to the Middle East ever since.
Mohamed Salah of Egypt
Mohamed Salah will have to wait if he wants to leave Liverpool
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Speaking after the 2-1 win over Wolves on December 27, Slot attempted once again to pour cold water on the Salah situation. “When I think when I used him in the squad against Brighton, that was a sign that we had moved on and I brought him in with the first substitution I made,” he said.
“So we've moved on but now he is at the AFCON and they have important games over there, so it is fair to him and the Egypt team that we don't talk about him as much here when it comes to Liverpool. But that is also fair to the players we have here because we are having to play a lot of games as well.
“So I think it is in the best interests of us, for him and Egypt that we have already shown with actions that we have moved on after his Leeds interview and now he needs his full focus on Egypt and we need our full focus over here.”
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