Mo Salah has been in lethal form for Liverpool under Arne Slot this season
However, it has been claimed that he nearly left the club last summer
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By SAM BROOKES
Published: 03:23 EST, 7 March 2025 | Updated: 03:23 EST, 7 March 2025
Former Premier League manager Slaven Bilic has claimed Mo Salah was on the brink of leaving Liverpool last summer before having a last-minute change of heart.
Salah has enjoyed a career-best campaign at Anfield this season, registering 25 goals and 17 assists in the Premier League to lead Liverpool's title charge under Arne Slot.
However, Bilic has revealed how things could have been very different as Salah almost turned his back on Liverpool last year.
The ex-West Ham boss explained how Salah had agreed to a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia after becoming unhappy during Jurgen Klopp's final months on Merseyside, but opted to stay when the German stepped down at the end of last season.
Speaking on The LineUp, via BetMGM and talkSPORT, Bilic said: 'There has definitely been a change this season under Arne Slot as, having been in Saudi Arabia last year, I know he wasn’t happy under Jurgen Klopp and we were expecting him to move.
'The whole of Saudi was ready for him and he would have been the star of the league.
Slaven Bilic has claimed Mo Salah was ready to leave Liverpool until Jurgen Klopp quit the club
Bilic insisted Salah was unhappy in Klopp's final months at Anfield and wanted to move to Saudi Arabia
Salah stayed at Liverpool after Klopp left, and has enjoyed a career-best season under Arne Slot
'As far as we were all concerned, it was done and Mo Salah was going to join Al-Ittihad.'
Bilic was in charge of Al-Fateh last summer, but went on to leave the Saudi club in August.
Salah has continued to be linked with a move to the Middle East in recent months, with his Liverpool contract set to expire this summer.
He claimed in January that this is set to be his 'last year' at Liverpool, and the 32-year-old has repeatedly spoken about his frustration over not agreeing a new deal with the club.
Bilic believes Salah is likely to move to Saudi eventually, and expects the Egyptian winger to receive another eye-watering offer in the near future.
'He knows the move is there for him when he wants to leave Liverpool,' Bilic added.
'It’s not a one-year "take it or leave it" project in Saudi.'