Saudi Pro League chief executive, Omar Mugharbel, has confirmed that clubs in the kingdom are targeting Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah amid growing uncertainty over the Egyptian’s future at Anfield.
Salah, 33, was omitted from Liverpool’s squad for Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League win over Inter Milan following a public fallout with manager Arne Slot. After Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds on Saturday, Salah said he had been unfairly blamed for the club’s poor form and claimed his relationship with Slot had broken down. Slot denied any rift, insisting the forward could still return to the squad.
Speaking at the World Football Summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, Mugharbel said Saudi clubs are monitoring the situation closely. “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,” he said.
Reports indicate that Salah, who signed a two-year contract extension in April, could leave Liverpool as early as January 2026. Saudi interest in the winger is longstanding; Liverpool previously rejected a £150m offer from Al-Ittihad in September 2023. However, Mugharbel’s remarks mark the first time a league official has publicly addressed the renewed pursuit following the player’s recent comments.
Not all voices within the Saudi football hierarchy are enthusiastic. Al-Kholood chairman, Ben Harburg, dismissed Salah as “a bad fit,” arguing that the league should prioritise younger stars. “He’s 33 years old, he got paid a boatload at Liverpool and has underperformed massively since then,” Harburg said. “I’m hoping we go after those 25-year-old next-wave players rather than guys like Salah, who this would definitely be the last stop of his career.”
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard also reacted to the controversy, describing Salah’s remarks as “emotional and hasty.” He likened the situation to Luis Suarez’s dispute with Brendan Rodgers in 2013, saying such conflicts can eventually be resolved.
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“He’s obviously really upset he’s not playing, which I respect,” Gerrard said. “A couple of lines about throwing people under the bus were wrong. He needs to deal with that with the manager… In time, Mo will go, ‘I shouldn’t have said that. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so emotional.’”
Salah, who joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017, has been central to the club’s recent successes, contributing to two Premier League titles and the 2019 Champions League triumph. He has scored four goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season, with Liverpool currently 10th and three points behind fourth-placed Crystal Palace.