Will Salah Leave Liverpool After This Season?

Photo by David Bayliss on Unsplash

When will Mohamad Salah leave Liverpool? Recently, it’s been a hot topic for football pundits, with endless speculation about a departure date and eventual destination. Salah has been a staple of the Liverpool squad since 2017 when the Egyptian forward signed a transfer contract worth almost £37 million. It was a record-breaking deal for Liverpool, but few would disagree that the Reds have certainly got their money’s worth.

Over the past few months, we’ve constantly been teased that a Salah transfer announcement is imminent. While nothing concrete has been revealed just yet, there are a few interesting tidbits that might provide a clue as to exactly what’s happening with Salah’s departure.

Why could Mo Salah leave Liverpool?

It wouldn't necessarily come as a surprise to football fans that Mo Salah would hang up his Liverpool shirt for good soon. While a contract extension in 2022 secured Salah for a further three years, he’s only locked in until June 2025. In December 2023, Liverpool announced that Salah would be removed from the roster to play with his national side in the Africa Cup of Nations. Sadly, this meant that he was a no-show for key fixtures of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. However, with Salah serving as the captain of the Egyptian national squad, there wasn’t really any room for negotiation. There’s a lot of changes going on at Liverpool at the moment with the biggest factor that Jurgen Klopp has already announced he’ll be stepping down as manager.  

Where could Salah be headed?

As speculation mounts about Salah's next move after Liverpool, attention has turned to clubs both within Europe and beyond. While giants like Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have been floated as potential destinations, it appears increasingly unlikely he'll join these European powerhouses. The only European club with a realistic shot at acquiring him seems to be Real Madrid. Yet, the narrative takes an intriguing turn as Salah's name is consistently linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, marking a significant shift in his illustrious career.

For some time, Salah's association with the SPL has been notable, with Al-Ittihad showing keen interest. In the summer transfer window of last year, they made a substantial offer of £150 million to bring the Egyptian superstar into their fold. Despite the initial deal not materializing, Al-Ittihad's pursuit of Salah remains undiminished. The forthcoming negotiations promise to be as intricate and high-stakes as a game of blackjack, where each decision could drastically alter the outcome. In this context, a wrong move could mean missing out on securing one of the world's premier football talents.

Is there any chance he could stay?

The real question is whether Salah might defy all expectations and remain at Anfield for the foreseeable future. As we saw in 2022, a contract expiration isn’t out of the realm of possibility. What’s more, with the current squad in a state of flux, holding onto a standout player like Salah would help steady the ship. It’s unlikely that Liverpool will be able to come anywhere close to the nine-figure sums that Saudi outfits are using to entice Salah to the SPL.

Written by Alan Spencer