The $192m Question: Mohamed Salah’s Potential Move to Riyadh Season Cup with Ronaldo
“Salah: A Player Coveted in Any League,” Says Saudi Pro League Official
Liverpool’s star player, Mohamed Salah, is unlikely to participate in the Riyadh Season Cup scheduled for January 2024, despite considerable interest from various teams.
Reports indicate that the Egyptian icon, having achieved the milestone of 200 goals with Liverpool, attracted attention from teams in the region during the summer transfer window of 2023, with bids reaching around £150 million ($192 million).
However, no deal materialized, as Salah remains under contract with Anfield until 2025, according to goal.com.
While the Saudi Pro League is expected to make another push, especially with Salah’s former teammates Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino having already joined the ambitious and big-spending division, following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, there seems to be little chance of Salah taking that path in early 2024.
“Mohammad Salah, like [Lionel] Messi, Benzema, Ronaldo, and the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, these are players that, when there is a sense of availability for them, we are willing to listen,” said Michael Emenalo, Saudi Pro League’s Director of Football, in an interview with Sky Sports.
He continued, “But we also understand that Salah is happy where he is at present and in a historic, wonderful club at Liverpool. We respect that very much and we don’t want to come across as putting any pressure on him. But if there is any interest to do something, Salah is a player that you want in your league, in any league.”
“We respect Liverpool, and in this scenario, the initiative to do anything won’t come from us. There has to be an aligned interest from all parties involved. It’s a very personal thing, as a player that I recruited [for Chelsea] and I like.
There’s nothing I’m saying that is new or ground-breaking – that a player of this level of talent is available and your league wants him. If Salah is available, has an interest to come, and everything is aligned, I would be incredibly delighted.”
