Liverpool has no plans to hold a farewell ceremony for Mohamed Salah at Anfield on Saturday, a move aimed at protecting potential future transfer fees.
Several Saudi Arabian clubs are looking to sign Salah "at all costs," with official offers expected next month. However, despite strong interest from multiple Saudi clubs, no substantive offers have been received so far.
Liverpool's stance is that Salah's contract runs until 2027, and the club has no intention of making any potential suitors believe that a return to Anfield is impossible for him. Scenes of the player waving goodbye to fans on the pitch would be detrimental to any transfer fee negotiations. Liverpool maintains that if Salah leaves, they are entitled to a transfer fee.
Salah's Training and Match Arrangements
On Tuesday, photos showed Salah arriving at the training ground by car, but he was not included in Liverpool's matchday squad for their Champions League away game against Inter Milan that night. The 33-year-old is also unsure if he will be named in the squad for the Brighton game. After Liverpool's Champions League win over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, the team returned from Italy on Wednesday. Players had a rest day on Thursday, and the coach will inform the squad of the lineup for Saturday's game on Friday. As usual, players not selected for the matchday squad are still required to attend home games.
In addition, Salah had originally planned to join the Egyptian national team in Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations after Saturday's game. In an interview last Saturday, Salah publicly revealed his rift with the club, stating: "I will go to Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and then leave for the Africa Cup of Nations. I don't know what will happen there."
Fierce Competition Among Saudi Clubs
Although Saudi clubs have cut back on transfer spending, they still have the funds to sign Salah, and each club hopes to bring him to the Middle East by virtue of his popularity "on and off the pitch."
Four Saudi clubs—Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli—are all owned by the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF). In addition, other clubs interested in signing Salah include Al Qadsiah, which is associated with state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco. A source told AFP that clubs are determined to sign the forward "at all costs," as he is arguably the most high-profile Muslim player in world football today.
"There is competition within the Saudi league to sign Salah, not just from PIF-linked clubs," the source said.
Liverpool's Past Similar Cases and the Possibility of Resolving Salah's Issue
Last season, when Trent Alexander-Arnold confirmed he would leave as a free agent, many fans were angry, and their attitude towards him deteriorated sharply in his final months at the club. Eventually, Alexander-Arnold left early to join Real Madrid to participate in the Club World Cup, and Liverpool received an early termination fee of approximately £10 million.
If Salah leaves during his contract period, Liverpool will insist on receiving a transfer fee.
There is also the possibility that Salah, who trained with the team on Monday and individually on Tuesday, may reach an agreement with club executives to end the deadlock. This decision will be made by sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Arne Slot, and must be approved by majority shareholder Fenway Sports Group (FSG), particularly FSG's chief executive for football Michael Edwards (based in FSG's Northwest office) and FSG president Mike Gordon in the United States.
