Mohamed Salah transfer decision made in Liverpool and Saudi twist | Football | Sport

Mohamed Salah is set to stay at Liverpool beyond the January transfer window following a decrease in interest from Saudi Arabia. The Egyptian forward’s most likely exit route seemed to be towards the Middle East, but this prospect has dwindled since his controversial interview.

Salah caused a stir at Elland Road in early December when he accused head coach Arne Slot of sidelining him, leading to speculation about a January departure. He claimed to have no relationship with Slot and was frustrated by his lack of playing time.

However, tensions have since eased, with Slot and Salah having a frank discussion before the 33-year-old came on as a substitute in a victory over Brighton. Salah then left for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, creating some distance between himself and the club.

With a contract running until June 2027 and a weekly wage of £350,000, only a few divisions, such as the Saudi Pro League, could realistically afford Salah. However, his improved relationship with Slot seems to have deterred potential suitors in Saudi Arabia, at least for the time being.

The i claim that nterest from top Saudi clubs has waned, sensing little chance of a deal in January. While Salah would still be a major coup for the league, the focus appears to have shifted towards recruiting younger talent rather than established stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

Saudi clubs Al-Hilal, Al-Qadisah and Neom have previously shown interest in acquiring Salah’s services, a prospect that remains open after Pro League chief Omar Mugharbel stated earlier this month that “Salah is welcome” in Saudi.

This isn’t the first time such rumours have circulated; Liverpool turned down a £150 million bid from Al-Ittihad for their star player in September 2023, sparking ongoing speculation about a potential move to the Middle East.

Following Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Wolves on December 27, Slot once again addressed the Salah situation. He said: “When I think when I used him in the squad against Brighton, that was a sign that we had moved on and I brought him in with the first substitution I made.

“So we’ve moved on but now he is at the AFCON and they have important games over there, so it is fair to him and the Egypt team that we don’t talk about him as much here when it comes to Liverpool. But that is also fair to the players we have here because we are having to play a lot of games as well.

“So I think it is in the best interests of us, for him and Egypt that we have already shown with actions that we have moved on after his Leeds interview and now he needs his full focus on Egypt and we need our full focus over here.”