In the concluded Premier League Matchweek 15, Liverpool was held to a 3-3 draw by Leeds United. Salah was left out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive game and failed to get any playing time.
After Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah dropped a bombshell about his potential departure in a recent media interview, Al Hilal SFC is ready to launch a bid in the January transfer window. The 33-year-old Liverpool legend launched a scathing attack on the club and manager Arne Slot after the team’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United—having been excluded from the starting lineup for the third consecutive game.
The Egyptian winger surprisingly claimed he had been "thrown under the bus and abandoned as a scapegoat" by Slot and Liverpool’s hierarchy, while hinting that this Saturday’s match against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield could be his final appearance for the Reds. Salah will join the Egyptian national team for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after the Brighton game and is not expected to return until mid-January, by which time he may move directly to the Middle East.
Saudi Pro League recruitment teams have long regarded the Egyptian international as a successor to Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo. While several clubs maintain interest, Al Hilal—who signed Darwin Núñez from Anfield earlier this summer—is seen as the most likely to act. However, any transfer fee will be far lower than the £150 million peak bid from the Saudi league two years ago. With Salah’s advancing age and the publicization of his rift with Liverpool’s management, Saudi clubs are confident of securing him at a reduced price.
Salah accused Liverpool’s hierarchy of breaking promises made when he signed a two-year contract extension in April. Although Saudi clubs have curbed their big-name spending after the reckless transfer spree two years ago, Salah will be regarded as a special case. The recruitment drive is overseen by the Player Acquisition Excellence Center led by former Chelsea director Michael Emenalo, and Middle Eastern sources reveal the organization has listed Salah as an "elite-level" target—Emenalo has a long-standing relationship with the Anfield star’s team.
Last season, Salah told Egyptian media that he had indeed held talks with Saudi clubs before renewing his contract: "I have a good relationship with Saudi officials, and we had a lot of serious conversations. It was a good opportunity, and the transfer could have happened if I hadn’t renewed with Liverpool." Al Hilal needs to offload one non-EU player this month to free up a quota for Salah—according to Saudi league regulations, each team can register up to eight non-EU players.
