A “senior figure” from the Saudi Pro League has reportedly boasted about the guaranteed prospects of signing Liverpool’s unhappy Mohamed Salah at some point in 2026, with Al Hilal and Al Ittihad emerging as the frontrunners to benefit from such a deal.
Salah set his own future on fire with an extraordinary interview on Saturday night. Arne Slot, Jamie Carragher and even Harry Kane all took some hits as Liverpool’s benched forward claimed to have been “thrown under the bus” by the club.
During what appeared to be a premeditated tirade, Salah revealed that he has invited his family to Anfield for next weekend’s visit from Brighton & Hove Albion. “In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen,” he warned. “I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa Cup, because I don’t know what’s going to happen when I’m there [at AFCON].”
Should Egypt make it past the group stage, the January transfer will open while Salah is away at AFCON. The 33-year-old didn’t go so far as to demand a move, but insisted that he doesn’t “accept this situation” of being named as a substitute for three successive fixtures.
The Saudi Pro League appear to be willing to take advantage of this impasse.
“We are absolutely convinced that Mo Salah will come to Saudi,” The Telegraph quoted a senior figure as saying. “No doubts about it. We don’t know if it will be January, in the next market, or next summer.”
The same report names defending Saudi champions Al Ittihad and record league winners Al Hilal as the two clubs “most likely” to sign Salah. However, both teams share the same majority owner—Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which also has a controlling stake in Al Nassr and Al Ahli—and the Pro League operates with one sporting director for all teams to prevent any bidding wars.
Familiar Faces Await for Salah
While there will be no Cristiano Ronaldo team-up—which would have also led to an awkward reunion with his former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mané—Salah is set to see some familiar faces should he make the switch to Saudi Arabia.
Al Hilal are spearheaded by Darwin Núñez. The mercurial forward was not universally adored by all on Merseyside given his fluctuating performances, but he quickly forged a strong partnership with Salah which extended beyond the pitch. “I consider myself lucky to have had you as a teammate and friend,” Salah wrote on social media after Núñez’s departure was confirmed in August.
“You were always very real and brought so much good energy wherever you went. You made us laugh and showed heart in everything you did. You will be missed and I wish you the best in your new club.”
Salah could alternatively be reunited with former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho were he to join Al Ittihad. The reigning league champions have mustered a limp title defence, boasting 14 points from nine games while Ronaldo’s Al Nassr lead the way with a perfect 27. Al Hilal are also undefeated but The Telegraph claim that if any side is to be considered the outright favourite, it is Al Ittihad.
The Jeddah-based outfit reportedly had a £150 million ($200.2 million) bid for Salah rejected in September 2023. Al Ittihad fans were so eager to welcome the Egyptian icon that large swathes of a crowd that summer wore Salah masks in anticipation. The real thing could now be heading their way.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Absolutely Convinced’—Two Frontrunners to Sign Mohamed Salah Revealed.