Saudi Arabian clubs are interested in signing Mohamed Salah but would want clear signs he is willing to move before making an approach for the Liverpool forward. Liverpool have not received any formal offers for Salah.
Clubs including Al Ittihad and Al Hilal have tried to recruit him over the past two years, but Salah has not shown a firm desire to leave top-level European football for the Saudi Pro League (SPL). The SPL has shifted its recruitment strategy toward younger players rather than established stars nearing the end of their careers, though an exception could still be made for Salah.
Al Ittihad reportedly made a verbal £150m offer in September 2023, but that bid arrived very late in the transfer window and a deal was unlikely. Before signing a new Liverpool contract in April, Salah was also linked with the prospect of a free transfer to rival clubs in the Premier League and across Europe.
The option of a move to another Premier League club remains open, which suggests Salah may still believe he has more to offer in Europe and does not yet view the SPL as the right next step.
Salah’s future was thrown into greater uncertainty by an explosive interview after he was an unused substitute in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds. He said he had done a lot for the club and did not understand why he was being benched, claiming the club had “thrown me under the bus” and suggesting someone wanted him to take the blame. He added he had received promises in the summer but had been on the bench for three games and that a previously good relationship with the manager had broken down.
Following that outburst, Liverpool left the 33-year-old out of the travelling squad for the Champions League win at Inter Milan. No formal disciplinary action has been announced, and it remains unclear whether he will be involved for the next league match against Brighton. Head coach Arne Slot said he had “no idea” whether Salah had played his final game for the club.
Omar Mugharbel, chief executive of the Saudi Pro League, confirmed Salah is a target for some clubs, saying the forward is welcome in the league but negotiations are a club responsibility. However, opinions within Saudi football are mixed. Al Kholood chairman Ben Harburg criticised Salah’s form since his recent contract and argued the league should focus on younger “next-wave” players rather than older stars, suggesting some supporters are apprehensive about Salah joining the SPL.
Back in the UK, former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher condemned Salah’s interview as “a disgrace,” suggesting the intervention was calculated and aimed at destabilising the manager. Carragher said the timing appeared deliberate, designed to cause maximum damage and strengthen Salah’s position, and speculated it could even be intended to push for the manager’s dismissal.
The situation has altered the dynamic around Salah’s future at Liverpool just months after his contract renewal, and any move — to Saudi Arabia, elsewhere in Europe, or within the Premier League — will depend on how relations at the club develop and whether potential suitors sense he is ready to leave.