It’s the story that has caught the attention of everyone in the football world. Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool hangs in the balance after his outburst against the club and manager Arne Slotafter the 3-3 draw vs Leeds United.
After accusing the Merseyside club of ‘throwing him under the bus’ and explaining his relationship with Slot has completely broken down, the winger was left out of the travelling squad completely for the 1-0 win at Inter Milan.
He’s now expected to once again be absent for the Premier League clash with Brighton at the weekend. Salah will then travel to meet up with his Egypt teammates ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations. It’s been widely speculated that he may have played his final game in the famous red shirt, although not confirmed.
Unusual Rule Could See Salah ‘Blacklisted’ From Saudi Pro League
The most likely destination for the Egypt international, if he is to leave Anfield in January, is the Saudi Pro League. The financial powerhouse of a division that’s scooped up some of the world’s biggest stars already would reportedly jump at the chance of acquiring the Liverpoolsuperstar.
However, Salah will need to tread carefully when going about that transfer, if he does explore it as an option. Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr are among the favourites to secure his signature.
This is where things could get tricky for the player, with his agent playing a huge role. According to a 2023 report by The New York Times, the immense levels of spending by Saudi Pro League clubs led to rule changes to regulate the money spentin a better way.
Firstly, a player with annual salary demands of over $3 million (£2.2 million) now has to be approved by the league. At Liverpool, Salah takes home just under £21 million per year after signing a lucrative new deal at the end of last season.
There’s another rule Salah and his agent, Ramy Abbas, will need to watch out for. If players and agents are found to be using one club as a ‘bargaining chip’ against another to secure a more lucrative salary, they could be ‘immediately blacklisted’.
Mo Salah Would be SPL’s Biggest Coup Since Ronaldo
The first time the wider football world stood up and took real notice of developments in the Middle Eastern division was when Cristiano Ronaldosigned for Al-Nassr in early 2023. The Real Madrid and Manchester United legend is one of football’s greatest ever players, and is still the biggest acquisition the league has made.
World-class names in the form of Neymar, Sadio Mane and Karim Benzema – among others – have since made the move from Europe to Saudi Arabia, but Salah’s arrival would be even more high-profile.
Off the back of a Player of the Season display in the 2024-25 campaign for the Premier League champions, no one would have expected Salah to be on the move only eight months later. However, that could well be the case, and Salah is more than good enough to compete with Ronaldo and others at the top of the scoring charts.
