Mohamed Salah is on a difficult career crossroad as rumours over a potential Saudi transfer begin to circulate.
After years of dazzling defenders, mesmerising Anfield and stadiums up and down the country, Salah finds himself at the centre stage of a much-talked-about exclusion from the Liverpool starting lineup.
He stands at a career crossroad few saw coming. For the very first time in his illustrious Liverpool career, the Egyptian king finds it difficult to make a comeback to Arne Slot’s starting eleven.
Although Slot calls it a tactical fix, a fierce debate about Salah’s present role and future at Anfield has naturally made headlines.
Arne Slot’s verdict on Mohamed Salah
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Slot’s decision to drop his star forward is a bold signal amid a poor run of team form.
- Salah is averaging a goal every 280 minutes this season, a massive contrast to last campaign’s title-winning 117-minute average.
While seeking to downplay any major rift, Slot confirmed the 33-year-old remains central to his plans, stating, “He is always in my mind to either start or to come off the bench.”
Yet, the reality of Salah watching from the bench is a powerful image, as he saw action from the bench during the last two games amid poor personal and team form.
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“Everyone has to perform”, Virgil van Dijk
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The situation has prompted a revealing assessment from captain Virgil van Dijk, who framed it as a necessary reminder of standards at a top club.
“It’s not like you have unlimited credit; everyone has to perform,” Van Dijk asserted.
He acknowledged Salah’s disappointment is natural, adding, “He’s disappointed, but that’s absolutely normal, as if you’re not disappointed when you’re not playing two games in a row, then there is an issue as well.”
This period of uncertainty has inevitably revived the spectre of the Saudi Pro League’s long-standing admiration.
The Telegraph reported on 4 December that Saudi officials remain prepared to fund a major move, but only if Salah communicates a desire to leave.
The forward himself previously acknowledged the seriousness of past negotiations, revealing, “My relations with SPL officials are very good, we talked a lot, and the negotiations were serious,” in an interview on Sport Egyptian TV back in May.
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Is a big-money move to Saudi Pro possible for Mohamed Salah?[smartframe_images_embed customer-id=”1970e2615a4bf4d8c7ab2416a1cc8d79″ image-id=”ARCH184049_00093519″ style=”width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 6203px; aspect-ratio: 6203/4135;”]
While a £150m bid was rebuffed in 2023, any future offer would likely be lower for an ageing Salah, but the financial power and interest are undeniable.
This places Liverpool in a delicate position. They hold a legendary goalscorer under contract until 2027, but one who is no longer an automatic pick and whose possible exit could fund a significant squad rebuild.
Salah’s immediate task is to fight for his place under Slot, as he prepares to depart for the AFCON from 15th December.
But his benching has opened a complex conversation, intertwining on-form decline, a tactical shake-up, and a strong amount of interest from Saudi Arabia.
The upcoming games will be a massive headline story as Salah will have to regain his previous form or risk being shipped out of Merseyside before his contract expires.
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