Is Mohamed Salah next soccer star to join Saudi Pro League?
Speculations are rife that Egyptian footballer, Mohamed Salah, who is currently playing for Liverpool FC could be the next soccer star to join Saudi Pro League.
Riyadh: Speculations are rife that Egyptian footballer, Mohamed Salah, who is currently playing for Liverpool FC could be the next soccer star to join Saudi Pro League.
Saudi Pro League or SPL is a professional association football league in Saudi Arabia regarded as the highest tier of the Saudi football league system. As the premier football league in Asia, the SPL also has the highest ranking among AFC club competitions.
A number of international footballers have joined different football clubs in Saudi Arabia ever since Portuguese star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was roped in by SPL giant Al Nassr in 2022. It was few months after the FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar.
Next to arrive in Saudi Arabia was French professional footballer Karim Benzema. Benzema started his SPL career with Al Ittihad but few months ago got himself transferred to Al Hilal.
Other international footballers currently playing in Saudi Pro League are Ivan Toney (England), Darwin Núñez (Uruguay), João Félix (Portugal), Mateo Retegui (Italy/Argentina), Steven Bergwijn (Netherlands), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands), Fabinho (Brazil), Rúben Neves (Portugal), Sergej Milinković-Savić (Serbia), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal), Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco), Franck Kessié (Ivory Coast), George Ilenikhena (Nigeria), Theo Hernández (France), Kingsley Coman (France), Sadio Mané (Senegal), Marcelo Brozović (Croatia), Edouard Mendy (Senegal) and a number of others – all earlier playing for different European football clubs but are currently in Saudi Arabia.
Is Mohamed Salah next?
Amid this rush of international footballers joining Saudi football clubs, there were talks of Mohamed Salah too of joining Al Nassr, Al Ittihad or other clubs. Things however did not materialize as speculated.
Mohamed Salah was of late reported to be having some problem at Liverpool, and it is being reported that he has decided to say good-bye to Anfield.
The 33-year-old Egypt international confirmed his decision to leave Liverpool in a video message posted on his social media accounts.
“Unfortunately the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell,” Salah said. “I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.”
Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in June 2017, has been one of the club’s most influential players during a hugely successful era.
Despite signing a new two-year contract in April 2025, the forward confirmed his decision to move on, reflecting on his deep connection with the club.
“I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life,” he said. “Liverpool is not just a football club. It's a passion. It's a history. It's a spirit.
“I can't explain it in words to anyone not part of this club. We celebrated victory. We won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our life.”
Mohamed Salah at Liverpool (2017–2026)
- Total appearances: 435
- Total goals: 255
- Total assists: 120+
- Major trophies: 8 (including Premier League titles, Champions League, FA Cups, League Cups, etc.)
He has been Liverpool's talisman, record-breaker, and one of the most consistent goal scorers in Europe for nearly a decade.
In total, Salah has so far scored a total of 332 goals in 687 appearances. Salah had few months ago also led the Egyptian national football team at AFCON 2025.
Saudi FCs in talks with Mohamed Salah
There are confirmed reports that Salah announced the end of his 9-year-long spell with Liverpool only after talks with more than one Saudi football clubs reached advanced stage.
The reports said talks are on with Al Nassr FC but Al-Ittihad Jeddah is leading the race.
Al Ittihad said it has already opened talks with Salah's agent Ramy Abbas, and see him as the perfect replacement/star after losing Karim Benzema.
“Talks are described as advanced, with a massive contract on the table that could make him one of the highest-paid players in football history - potentially rivaling or exceeding Ronaldo's deal”, Al Ittihad sources said.
Interestingly, Liverpool, which ranks 4th in Premier League, had earlier rejected Al Ittihad's offer for Salah. Rejecting the Saudi football club's £150m offer, Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp had in September 2023 said the Egytpian footballer is not for sale.
[Zohair Mohammed Safwan Faizee is Staff Writer at ummid.com.]
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