Mohamed Salah returned to training on Monday but remains on Merseyside while Liverpool travel to Milan to face Inter in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian Professional League teams are discussing the future of the 33-year-old, who sparked newspaper speculation about his future with incendiary comments following his side's 3-3 draw with Leeds on Saturday.
Wishes in Saudi Arabia are prepared to place Salah in the top echelon of league earnings – and by extension the sport – but they are not prepared to offer Liverpool terms similar to the huge nine-figure deal the Reds rejected in the summer of 2023. Revelations from Salah, who has been on the bench for the last three games, that he felt “thrown under the bus” by the club and had no relationship with head coach Arne Slote have fueled long-standing interest in Egypt. International in the sovereign wealth fund and owner of PIF, where there has been a long-standing commitment to commit significant funds to attract Salah.
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How Salah's move to the Saudi Professional League could have happened
According to CBS Sports sources, Al Hilal and Al Ittihad are positioning themselves in a domestic race to secure the Egyptian's services. League leaders Al Nassr could yet enter the equation, although any move could require them to move on from Sadio Mane, a player they have long been willing to part ways with to open up a squad spot for a superstar and who had a contentious relationship with Salah at Liverpool.
Cristiano Ronaldo's side are also believed to be interested in signing Bruno Fernandes and could show an interest in Salah before the summer when the situation becomes clearer after the World Cup. The possibility that other big names could become available after the tournament will also influence how the PIF views Salah's surprise appearance and whether some fans decide to hold off in anticipation of younger players in the summer.
Ultimately, it will be up to the owners of these clubs to determine where and when Salah joins the Pro League if that is what he really wants. Sources close to PIF, which owns Al-Nasr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly, believe the 33-year-old would prefer to move to Saudi Arabia. Salah is believed to have been receptive to the initial offer when Al Ittihad saw Liverpool reject a deal worth $162 million in the summer of 2023.
The lines of communication have remained the same since then, although it is noteworthy that despite interest from Al-Hilal, PIF did not try to push the matter forward in January as Salah approached free agency. By then it had become obvious that he wanted to extend his contract with Liverpool and the Saudi dealers were determined to play the long game in the search for one of the world's most outstanding players, one who is seen as Ronaldo's successor and as the face of the league when the Portuguese striker eventually retires.
No big fee for Liverpool from Saudi clubs
As such, Pro League sources told CBS Sports they expect Salah to be offered personal terms comparable to the $200 million-a-year package that was offered two-and-a-half years ago. What is on offer to Liverpool is expected to change dramatically. Before Al Ittihad's huge bid was rejected in September 2023, CBS Sports reported that such terms would no longer be discussed. With Salah now 33 and struggling to replicate the form that won Liverpool the title last season, any offer from PIF is expected to be a steep price.
Indeed, there has been speculation that Salah's bombshell interview could present Saudi clubs with the same opportunity that arose when Ronaldo burned his bridges at Old Trafford ahead of the 2022 World Cup. His harsh assessment of Erik ten Hag prompted Manchester United to release their star striker, who arrived at Al Nasr next month. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will go to such extreme measures with Salah, but his comments on Saturday sharply undermined their negotiating position.
Ultimately, it won't encourage Anfield's management to re-evaluate what might have been had they cashed in their chips two-and-a-half years ago. Without Salah, it's hard to imagine Liverpool rushing to the title like they did last season. In the meantime, as long as they receive anything more than a fee from any interested party, it would make sense to extend his contract last summer even at a salary that is reported to be in excess of $500,000 per week.
Was Liverpool right to re-sign Salah last summer?
Perhaps the only challenge Michael Edwards and Fenway Sports Group will face is the opportunity cost of bringing Salah back in the summer. The signings of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike suggest the team are preparing for a medium-term future without one of their greatest strikers. If they had known Salah could leave in the first 12 months of his two-year extension, could they have recruited differently? Lose the man who has dominated the right wing for over eight years and the squad will look surprisingly light in width.
Dominik Szoboszlai took over the position after Salah was ruled out for the trip to West Ham and the Hungarian typically impressed in the disappointing circumstances of Saturday's defeat to Leeds. Is the right flank now his? If so, does that require going to market in search of another wide attacker who can threaten from the back? Jeremie Frimpong could also emerge as a player further up the pitch when he returns from injury, while Salah's participation in the Africa Cup of Nations will still force Arne Slot to experiment there.
These were the questions that soon faced Liverpool, despite everything. Even a player as brilliant as Salah was last season cannot bend the age curve in his favor forever. An organization as data-driven as Edwards would surely have recognized the risk they were paying for past production when they offered the player a two-year extension ahead of his 33rd birthday.
What they were hoping for, however, was a gradual decline in output from a player whose average had risen from 1.25 goals and assists per 90 minutes in last season's Premier League to 0.48 (his expected goals and assists had halved from 0.92 to 0.46). They could hope for a graceful transition from each squad, with Salah moving into the role of elder statesman and his media comments rare and innocuous. And perhaps in the summer they could take the position that they don't really want to sell Salah, but if a Pro League super team is going to put a big wad of cash on the table for someone in their mid-30s, who can say no?
After Saturday's events, such a scenario is more difficult to imagine than ever before.
Inter – Liverpool view information
- Date: Tuesday, December 9 | Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: San Siro – Milan
- Live broadcast: Paramount+
- Chances: Inter +115; Draw +250; Liverpool +220
