Rumors of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah’s move to the Saudi Professional League have resurfaced, with the British newspaper “Mirror” revealing strong interest from Saudi club Al-Nassr in signing the Liverpool icon, not only as a quality addition to the league, but also as a possible replacement for Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo in the near future.
According to the report, Saudi Pro League officials have placed Salah at the top of their transfer target list and are preparing a massive financial offer that could triple his current salary to around £1.2 million per week. This astronomical offer aims to persuade the player to leave Anfield and embark on a new challenge in his career, potentially making him the most prominent advertising face of the Saudi Pro League.
General context: The transfer revolution in the Saudi League
This renewed interest comes in the context of the massive transformation the Saudi league has undergone since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in late 2022. That deal paved the way for a wave of international stars during the summer of 2023, such as Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, and Riyad Mahrez, as part of an ambitious sporting project supported by the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The interest of Saudi clubs in Salah is not new; last summer, Al-Ittihad came very close to finalizing the deal after submitting an official offer exceeding £150 million, but Liverpool insisted on keeping their star player.
The importance of the deal and its expected impact
Mohamed Salah's move to the Saudi League, specifically to Al-Nassr, will have implications far beyond the pitch. Domestically , his signing will provide a massive boost to Al-Nassr's popularity and the league as a whole, intensifying competition with other top clubs. Regionally , Salah is an icon for the Arab world, and his arrival will attract millions of fans from across the Middle East and North Africa, further cementing the Saudi League's position as a premier sporting destination in the region. Internationally , the arrival of a player of Salah's caliber at the peak of his career will confirm that the Saudi League is no longer just a destination for players at the end of their careers, but has become a powerful force capable of competing with the biggest European leagues, thus serving the Kingdom's strategic goals of enhancing its soft power globally.
With Salah's contract with Liverpool nearing its end in the summer of 2025, and the team's performance declining recently, the coming period may be the ideal time to finalize this historic deal that will redraw the map of world football.
