Mohamed Salah’s Anfield future remains uncertain despite his appearance for Liverpool in their win over Brighton, with the club still dealing with the fallout from the winger’s explosive post-match interview last week.
Salah accused the club of throwing him under the bus after the 3-3 draw to Leeds last Saturday, adding that his relationship with Reds manager Arne Slot was broken, and he went as far as to suggest that this weekend’s match could be his last at Anfield.
“I don't know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I'm going to enjoy that game because I don't know what is going to happen now. In football, you never know,” said the Egyptian.
Salah was subsequently left out of the travelling squad before the Reds’ 1-0 Champions League win over Inter Milan in midweek, and while the club’s official line is that they want to keep their star winger, rumours have begun to link him with a move away from Anfield. He was reinstated to the squad on Saturday after conversations with Slot, but he continues to be linked with a move away from Anfield.
At this point it would still be a surprise if Salah were to leave as soon as next month, with the winger under contract until 2027 and the club hoping to keep him, but if the rift with Slot cannot be fixed and the difficult spell continues, there is a possibility that he will not line up for the Reds again. But where could Salah go, and which clubs might want the Egyptian?
The most prominent links regarding Salah’s future are to Saudi Arabia, with teams in the Saudi Pro League keen on making the Egyptian the league’s latest blockbuster addition. Clubs including Al-Ittihad and Al Hilal have previously tried to sign the winger – with the former making a £150m offer – but he has never indicated a desire to make the move.
It is believed that SPL clubs would need a clear indication that Salah was open to the move in order for them to act, though the chance could come sooner rather than later if the rift between himself and Slot doesn’t heal.
The previous attempts from – and relationships with – Saudi clubs mean that if Salah does move, it’s Saudi teams who are current favourites to sign him, though bookies do have the Egyptian as odds-on to stay at Anfield over the winter window. In any case, the top sides in the country would need to navigate certain regulations regarding registering players, and the sides he could immediately join may prove less tempting for the 33-year-old.
Overall, this might be a move that has to wait. There are several big players out of contract in 2027 – the same year in which Salah’s current deal expires – so a lot depends on whether Salah feels he has a path back into the Liverpool side, and if he can mend his relationship with his manager. However, if he can’t, a move to Saudi feels the most likely option at present.
While joining a Saudi club might feel like the most likely and feasible option for Salah, little attention has been paid to the fact that the Egyptian finished fourth in the Ballon d’Or a few months ago, and he is still regarded as one of the world’s top players.
From a footballing and personal perspective, it is likely that Salah would want to continue at one of Europe’s top clubs if he were to leave Liverpool, with the Egyptian probably targeting a move to a club that could contend for the Champions League each season.
Whether or not those types of clubs see Salah as a worthwhile investment – given his age and recent form – is another question. Most of the best clubs in Italy and Spain would struggle to afford him, while Real Madrid already have plenty of options in his position.
Bayern Munich recently spent over £65m on Salah’s former teammate Luis Diaz, while European champions PSG are another club who are already blessed with quality options on the wings. In any case, most of these clubs usually decline to sign players in Salah’s age bracket for huge fees, even if they are top talents.
One destination that feels decidedly less likely is the MLS, though the league’s Commissioner Don Garber recently said that they would “welcome him with open arms” if he decided to make a move.
The league can’t match the profile of Europe’s top divisions, but it can certainly match that of the Saudi Pro League, and the nature of sport in the US means that it could be the best move for Salah’s ‘brand’ if that is something the Egyptian would place importance on.
Moreover, the relative prestige of the league has risen noticeably since players such as Son Heung Min, Thomas Muller and Lionel Messi joined, with the latter’s recent MLS Cup win perhaps putting the league on the map in the eyes of many more fans.
With a World Cup to come this summer, this is a move that could make sense for Salah if he needed to leave in January, though most MLS clubs would likely struggle to afford him unless Liverpool were willing to do a cut-price deal.
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