Saudi League Targets Mohamed Salah

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is attracting interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League, a development confirmed by the league’s chief executive, Omar Mugharbel.

The Egyptian international was surprisingly omitted from the squad that secured a 1-0 Champions League victory against Inter Milan on Tuesday, following a public disagreement with manager Arne Slot regarding his recent form and role within the team.

After Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United last Saturday, Salah voiced his frustration, stating he felt unfairly blamed for the team’s struggles and that his relationship with Slot had deteriorated. While Slot indicated a potential path for reconciliation, Mugharbel revealed the Saudi League’s continued admiration for the player.

“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],” Mugharbel stated during the World Football Summit in Riyadh.

Reports suggest Salah could be open to a move as early as January, despite recently signing a two-year contract extension in April. Al-Ittihad reportedly made a substantial £150 million bid for the player in September 2023, which Liverpool rejected, but this is the first official confirmation of Saudi interest since Salah’s public comments.

However, not all Saudi clubs are convinced. Al-Kholood chairman Ben Harburg expressed reservations, describing Salah as “a bad fit” and favouring a move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.

“There’s already, even among the public, much more apprehension around his coming into the league,” Harburg explained. “He’s 33 years old, he got paid a boatload at Liverpool and has underperformed massively since then. I’m sure some people like his star power, he’s from the region, but my sentiment is that he is not a fit for our league. If it were between him and Vinicius, I’d take Vinicius. I’m hoping we go after those 25-year-old next-wave players rather than guys like Salah, who definitely this would be the last stop of his career.”

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard weighed in on the situation, describing Salah’s interview as “a bit emotional and a bit hasty.”

“He’s obviously really upset he’s not playing, which I respect,” Gerrard told TNT Sports. “A couple of lines about throwing people under the bus were wrong. He needs to reverse a little bit away from that, he needs to deal with that with the manager. We’ve all had head loss as players. We’ve all done emotional things. I know in time when this all calms, Mo will go, ‘I shouldn’t have said that. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I was a bit emotional, I was a bit hasty’.”

Gerrard drew parallels to a similar situation involving Luis Suarez and Brendan Rodgers in 2013, where a public falling out was eventually resolved with Suarez remaining at the club for another season.

Since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017, Salah has been instrumental in their success, contributing to two Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph in 2019. However, his current form has been a concern, with only four goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season. Liverpool currently sit 10th in the table, just three points behind fourth-placed Crystal Palace.

Liverpool are scheduled to host Brighton at Anfield on Saturday, before Salah joins the Egypt national team for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament. Gerrard concluded, “At the end of the day Liverpool Football Club need Mo Salah back playing well, back scoring goals, because he is the best player, the best scorer, and he will help them get out of this.”

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