Liverpool are reportedly in a rush to begin contract talks with their star player Mohamed Salah, amidst speculation over his Anfield future.
With his contract set to expire next summer, the Reds could face a crunch decision to persist with negotiations or offload the Egyptian ace in the upcoming January window. Salah has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League in the past, but speculation fizzled out.
Now, a move to the Middle East is reportedly back in discussion. Ben Jacobs of talkSPORT has revealed: “2025 is the target. Al Hilal is the club. The Saudi football federation will be taking FIFA up on this so-called exceptional window ahead of the Club World Cup.”
Lifting the lid on the situation on White and Jordan’s show, Jacobs added context about potential timings: “So they could in theory try and sign Salah between June 1 and 10, which means they’re looking at him for not just the Saudi Pro League but for the Club World Cup.”
Reports are swirling that Salah might be seen playing alongside Neymar and squaring off against Lionel Messi in next year’s tournament. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, a whopping £150m verbal bid from Al-Ittihad for the Liverpool ace was turned down in the summer.
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Since then, Al-Ittihad has snapped up Moussa Diaby from Aston Villa a player who, like Salah, is a left-footed right-winger. Jacobs continued: “All signs are Saudi are going to come back in and if Salah is a free agent then naturally he can get a bigger sign-on fee.
“Liverpool want him to renew, Saudi are pushing hard. [Saudi Pro League sporting director] Michael Emenalo, who has a good relationship with Salah, is leading the drive. So the only thing that’s really changed is the club from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal and the expectation is that Saudi will make a big push.
“Another expectation is that the TV rights will change to country-specific in certain territories. One of those territories is Egypt, so as a result, if Salah joins, this is also about a return on investment because Egypt will have specific country rights.
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“And with Salah there, you would expect the Saudi Pro League to be able to bring in a relatively lucrative deal. So Salah to Saudi remains on the cards and Al Hilal is the most likely destination with the Club World Cup in mind.”
Mounting speculation about his future is causing Liverpool to feel the heat, however, boss Arne Slot appears calm amidst the storm. Chatting to TNT Sports Brazil before their Champions League fixture against Bayer Leverkusen, the Dutch manager was pressed about his ace’s prospects.
Slot remarked: “The only thing I think about is he is so important for us. Scores important goals, works hard for the team. I’m hoping he can enjoy that feeling many, many, many more times. Especially if I’m here but also if I’m not here.
“I’m hoping he can do this many more times. He’s been incredible for Liverpool over the past eight years. He’s been incredible for us this season and I hope he can continue doing this for the rest of the season and maybe longer to come, but that’s up to him and the club to find the idea about the future.”