Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah has been linked with a transfer to Saudi Arabia but has been sent a pitch to make a different move away
Mo Salah faces an uncertain future at Liverpool following his comments after the draw against Leeds United(Image: Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has been sent a pitch to turn down the Saudi Pro League amid ongoing uncertainty over his future at Anfield.
The Egyptian has been named on the bench for the Reds’ Premier League games against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds United over the past few weeks. Following a dramatic 3-3 draw against the latter last weekend, Salah gave a shock interview to reporters at Elland Road, detailing a breakdown in his relationship with head coach Arne Slot.
In the interview, Salah also hinted that this weekend’s fixture against Brighton could be his final match for the Reds. He is due to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations next week, which will run until mid-January should Egypt progress deep into the competition, though it remains unclear whether the 33-year-old will return to represent Liverpool for the second half of the season.
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As a result of the player’s bombshell interview, numerous links with clubs abroad have resurfaced over the past week, even more so after he was left out of the squad that beat Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Saudi Pro League has long been tipped as Salah’s most likely destination when he eventually calls time on his Liverpool career. However, MLS has recently emerged as a genuine alternative, with The Athletic reporting this week that a move to the United States cannot be ruled out.
This is partly because San Diego FC is owned by Egyptian-British billionaire Mohamed Mansour, potentially making it an ideal fit for Salah. The team, founded in 2023, topped the Western Conference table in the 2025 MLS season.
Now, MLS commissioner Don Garber has publicly encouraged Salah to make the move across the Atlantic despite a move to Saudi Arabia guaranteeing a huge payday.
He also cited Barcelona and Bayern Munich legends Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller as examples of the league’s growing prominence.
“Obviously, if [Salah] ever decides to come to Major League Soccer, we’d welcome him with open arms,” Garber told reporters this week.
“I’d say he should reach out to Leo [Messi] and reach out to Thomas Muller and see how happy they’ve been and how successful they’ve been and how much they’ve really embraced being in Major League Soccer.”
Messi joined Inter Miami as a free agent in the summer of 2023 following a spell with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. Earlier this month, the Argentinian featured and registered two assists against Muller’s Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final, helping his side secure a 3-1 victory.
Salah will join up with his Egypt teammates next week, with their opening fixture of the Africa Cup of Nations taking place on December 22 against Zimbabwe.
South Africa and Angola make up the remainder of the group as the Pharaohs look to triumph in the competition for the first time since 2010.
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