Mohamed Salah's potential departure could unlock significant funds for Liverpool in January, with financial expert Kieran Maguire explaining the Saudi impact on transfer spending
Ben Crawford GAU Writer and Tom Sunderland Sports Writer
15:37, 03 Jan 2026
Mohamed Salah could still leave Liverpool in January
Mohamed Salah could still leave Liverpool in January(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool seldom faces calls to bolster its squad during the January transfer window.
However, a poor first half of the season has put club owner John Henry in a bit of a pickle regarding their winter strategy. Henry, the head honcho at Fenway Sports Group, boasts an impressive net worth of $5.7 billion, as per Forbes. Yet, the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) mean that throwing money around isn't as straightforward as having deep pockets.
The situation surrounding Mohamed Salah at Anfield presents one potential source of income that could aid the club, especially following his outburst prior to leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations.
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Financial guru Kieran Maguire has shed light on how the club could seize the initiative this month, and the role Salah might play in financing further signings. "Liverpool have got the benefit of, yes, they had a spectacular summer of 2025, but if you take a look at their losses in the two previous years, they were never in danger of breaching PSR," he said, as quoted by Mirror Football.
"So that's given them the capacity to spend. And remember, if you sign a player, the cost of the signing is spread over the contract. It's spread over five years, for example.
"So if you sign a £50 million ($67.3 million) player in January, six months of that will go into your account. So it's going to cost you £5 million ($6.7 million). Now £5 million, you get £3.5 million ($4.7 million) per place in the Premier League. The important thing, again from Liverpool's point of view - and they seem to have turned the corner in terms of what's happening on the pitch - is to finish in the top five positions and get that participation."
John Henry will want to see Liverpool achieve even more success
John Henry will want to see Liverpool achieve even more success(Image: Getty Images)
Maguire acknowledged a summer of significant spending that saw Liverpool splash out upwards of $500 million on new signings. That outlay was partly offset as the club raised around $250 million from player sales.
Marc Guehi was believed to be on his way to Anfield from Crystal Palace before that deal fell through on deadline day. Maguire believes that move remains firmly on the cards this month, with Salah's potential exit freeing up room for financial manoeuvre.
"Well, his wages are probably going to be something like £15 million ($20.2 million) a year," he added. "So, if he left, he would free up the wage budget. On top of that, because he's been there so long, effectively any money that they get is pure profit.
"And that goes into your top line... He's got 18 months remaining in his contract. So, there's no reason why they couldn't get £60 million ($80.8 million) or £70 million ($94.3 million) from a club in the Saudi Pro League, even for a player of his age.
"I think the Saudi Pro League is very conscious that it needs, at some point in time, to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as sort of the focal point of the league. And Mohamed Salah would achieve that on a number of levels."
If Salah were to leave, it would create a significant void in Liverpool's attack. Granted, the Egyptian has had a challenging season and was benched by Arne Slot prior to his AFCON departure, but finding a suitable replacement would still be necessary.
Henry might be inclined to entertain Saudi interest this month if it meant receiving a hefty fee for an out-of-form, ageing Salah. This could potentially be the only way for Liverpool to make any substantial investments this winter.
When asked about the feasibility of Liverpool securing Salah's replacement this month, Maguire replied: "There's always two issues. One, do you have the cash? And two, can you do it from a PSR point of view? From a PSR point of view, they've got no trouble.
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"From a cash point of view, deals are normally spread over three to four years. If they felt that was the difference between qualifying and not qualifying for the Champions League, then it's a no-brainer. You go for it."