Mohamed Salah has been described by a Saudi Pro League club chief as the country’s “top” transfer target, despite the superstar forward committing his future to Liverpool.
Salah recently ended months of speculation about a possible Liverpool exit by signing a new two-year contract until 2027.
He will be 35 when his new deal at Anfield expires, with Saudi football already positioning itself as a destination for the Egyptian superstar.
“We are interested in all international players. Captain Mohamed Salah is definitely at the top of this list, and we are happy to have him in Saudi Arabia,” Al Ahli president Khlaed Al Eissa has told Egypt’s Channel One. “God willing, at the right time, he will be with one of the Saudi clubs.”
Al Eissa also claimed that “most players are looking to play in the Kingdom”, which doesn’t seem entirely representative of the situation.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is not expected to be move by a reported contract proposal worth the equivalent of £1m per week, while Kevin De Bruyne seems more likely to head to Major League Soccer in the United States if he is to leave Europe at all. Christian Eriksen is another who has prioritised staying in Europe above all else, despite links with Saudi Arabia.
As a Muslim player who hails from the Middle East region, Salah has understandably been a particularly attractive target for the Saudi Pro League.
Michael Emenalo, Chelsea’s former technical director who now serves as the Saudi league’s sports director, has previously confirmed that was an approach for Salah in 2023.
“The stories that our teams went after him were true, it is true, there was an interest,” Emenalo explained on John Obi Mikel’s podcast last year.
“It’s ok for me to have an interest in signing Mo, but [Liverpool] have to have an interest in letting him go, and if those things don’t align, you don’t have a deal.
“Fundamentally, Liverpool didn’t want to sell and what price were we willing to buy at? I didn’t feel the player was ready to come because he felt like he had unfinished business.””
