Liverpool's Mo Salah to Saudi Arabia plan confirmed

Liverpool are in a situation with Mohamed Salah that feels untenable. Something needs to change.

If the Egyptian had his way, then he'd be playing every week and trying to give back to the club for backing him in April, giving him a two-year contract extension to prolong his stay with us to 10 years.

Arne Slot, however, is more inclined to bench the winger, as part of his search for a more sustainable remedy for success, ending the barren run of form which initially started at the end of September.

Salah's decision to speak to the media about his frustrations has only worsened his situation, with the club deciding to exclude him from the squad that travelled to Italy to play Inter on Tuesday night.

For the first time, it's plausible that Salah could leave the club. Once he joins up with the Egyptian national team for AFCON, there's no guarantee that he comes back when the January window opens.

Salah to Saudi has legs

A report from Ben Jacobs for TalkSport claims that Salah is still very much on the radar of clubs in Saudi Arabia - he's exactly the type of player that would elevate the Saudi Pro League to a new level.

He'd be paid an extraordinary amount of money for the privilege and unlike with European leagues, his age wouldn't necessarily be a deal-breaking factor, as Salah would become a 'poster boy' for the organisation much like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is also a major tourism ambassador for the country.

Per the latest intel from Jacobs, clubs such as Al Hilal, NEOM FC and Al Qadsiah are all interested in the opportunity to sign Salah in January, and SPL director Michael Emenalo would also play a key role in a deal negotiated by any of the competitions' clubs, as he has a close relationship with Salah.

However, it's currently unlikely that a January move is possible. Liverpool aren't even considering it.

The report adds: "Liverpool remain committed to Salah for the remainder of his contract".

Ordinarily, this would be fantastic news. Having the player around until 2027 provides with a lot of clarity given all the noise surrounding his future. The club has around 18 months to replace him.

But the deeper context, without trying to read into the statement too much, is that a fee isn't expected for him. Salah leaving for free when the Saudi clubs are offering big sums is a bold call.

And there's no guarantee that Salah will be around longer than 2027, with no early signs that we'll have further contract talks. We all know that the Egyptian won't be around for long, but this would put quite a fine point on things. Furthermore, what are the next 18 months going to be like for him?

Prior to this week, there was no talk about Salah's future and perhaps it's best to go back to that level of speculation, to allow the club and the winger to sort things out without speculating too far, but it feels as though we're in an untenable situation and the Saudis may get their way eventually.

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