Liverpool’s Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah’s path to leaving Anfield this summer seems paved.
Mohamed Salah is under contract with Liverpool until 2025, and is the third highest-paid player in the Premier League with a salary of £350,000 per week.
There has been interest since last summer from the management of the Saudi Professional League clubs to sign Salah, specifically the giants Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad.
Mohamed Salah’s transfer to the Saudi Professional League, which has become a destination for the most important international football stars since the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo moved there a year and four months ago, was hindered last season.
Given the current situation, there are many factors that open the door to Salah’s departure to the Saudi League more than ever before.
Liverpool ready to sell
The British newspaper “Team Talk” reported that Liverpool’s new contracting officer, Michael Edwards, is ready to give the green light for Salah’s exit in the summer.
Liverpool will not stand in the way of Salah’s desire if the Egyptian Pharaoh decides to leave Anfield.
Although Salah’s departure will force Liverpool to make new signings, the financial value of the deal, which will reach 150 million pounds, will help them find a replacement.
There is more than one name linked to Liverpool to replace Salah, the most prominent of which is German Leroy Sane, Bayern Munich winger and English Premier League expert, having previously represented Manchester City for 4 years from 2016 to 2020.
He has one year left on his contract.
The idea that Mohamed Salah’s contract with Liverpool expires in the summer of 2025 means that the only solution for the Reds to make a financial profit from the Pharaoh’s departure is to sell him this summer.
If the extension negotiations with Salah falter, Liverpool may find itself losing its most important striker in the last 7 years for free.
The new coach
Many reports have spoken in the past period about the name of the new Liverpool coach, who will be influential in Salah’s decision.
Salah joined Liverpool under German Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2017 from Roma, and together they succeeded in winning eight championships, the most important of which are the Champions League and the English Premier League.
Although Salah stressed that Klopp’s departure at the end of the season will not affect his decision, the fear of a new name that does not agree with the Egyptian international’s ideas may push him to leave, especially since the English club’s management has not yet settled on a specific name.
Recent criticisms
In a related context, Salah has recently been subjected to many criticisms from prominent names in the English Premier League, despite the good performance he is presenting with Liverpool.
Liverpool and Manchester United legend Paul Ince spoke negatively about Salah in the 1990s, saying: “Is Salah a world-class goalscorer? Yes, and his numbers speak for themselves, but is he a world-class player tactically? No.”
He continued: “Because many times, I think, he cuts the ball to his left foot and puts it in the penalty area, and this is not a great thing, but as long as he scores goals, he is world-class.”
James Pearce, editor of the famous website “The Athletic”, expressed his dissatisfaction with Salah’s performance against Manchester United in a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
“I think Salah was a million miles off his level against Manchester United, especially in terms of the spaces available in the United defence and how to exploit them,” Pearce said. “He has to kick himself for failing to destroy them.”
Highest paid in the Saudi League
Salah is expected to earn £3 million in the Saudi league next season, according to English reports.
If Salah completes this transfer, he will surpass Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, to become the most expensive player in the Saudi Professional League, which is an additional advantage.