Salah emerges target for Saudi Pro League, says official

Mohamed Salah

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Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, has emerged as a target for clubs in the Saudi Pro League, according to league chief executive, Omar Mugharbel.

The 33-year-old was left out of Liverpool’s squad for Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League win at Inter Milan after publicly clashing with manager Arne Slot.

Following Saturday’s 3-3 Premier League draw at Leeds, Salah claimed he had been blamed for Liverpool’s poor form and that his relationship with Slot had broken down.

While Slot denied the fallout and said Salah could return, Mugharbel confirmed that Saudi clubs are interested in the Egyptian international. Speaking at the World Football Summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, he said, “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure, Salah is one of them [a target].”

Reports suggest Salah, who signed a two-year contract extension in April, could leave Liverpool as soon as January 2026.

Interest from Saudi Arabia is not new—Liverpool reportedly rejected a £150m bid from Al-Ittihad in September 2023—but this is the first time a league official has publicly commented since Salah’s controversial statements.

Not all Saudi clubs are convinced. Al-Kholood chairman Ben Harburg described Salah as “a bad fit,” suggesting Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr would be a better signing.

“He’s 33 years old, he got paid a boatload [at Liverpool] and has underperformed massively since then.

“I’m hoping we go after those 25-year-old next-wave players rather than guys like Salah, who this would definitely be the last stop of his career,” Harburg said.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard weighed in, describing Salah as “a bit emotional and a bit hasty” in his public comments.

Gerrard compared the situation to Luis Suarez’s 2013 clash with Brendan Rodgers, noting that disagreements between star players and managers can eventually be resolved.

“He’s obviously really upset he’s not playing, which I respect. “A couple of lines about throwing people under the bus were wrong. [He] needs to deal with that with the manager… In time, Mo will go, ‘I shouldn’t have said that. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so emotional,” Gerrard said.

Since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017, Salah has been pivotal to the club, helping them win two Premier League titles and the 2019 Champions League.

This season, he has scored just four goals in 13 Premier League games, with Liverpool sitting 10th in the table, three points behind fourth-placed Crystal Palace.

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