Salah has been an exceptional asset to Liverpool ever since he joined the club from Roma in July 2017. With 319 appearances, he has scored an astonishing 196 goals and provided 83 assists. His time at Anfield has seen him achieve various records, positioning him as the third top goalscorer in Liverpool history, only behind Roger Hunt and Ian Rush.
Yet, it appears that the winger’s tenure at Liverpool is drawing to a close. During the summer, Al Ittihad offered a substantial £150 million for him. Liverpool promptly dismissed the proposal, firmly resolved against parting ways with Salah before the 2023-24 season began. There were murmurs of a second bid totaling £215 million, but this failed to materialize, and Salah remained with the Merseyside club as a result.
However, expectations are high that Al Ittihad will make a renewed attempt to acquire the Egyptian star in the lead-up to next summer’s transfer window. By that time, Salah will be nearing the final year of his contract with Liverpool, potentially prompting Jurgen Klopp’s team to consider selling him.
Liverpool is already scouting for potential replacements for the forward. Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane from Bayern have been linked, and there’s a suggestion by one observer to recruit Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.
In an interview with Football Insider, former Aston Villa and England forward Gabby Agbonlahor shared his perspective on the situation. He believes it’s inevitable that Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season and could command any fee the club demands, possibly exceeding £100 million. This move might see Salah transferring to Al Ittihad and becoming the highest-paid player in Saudi Arabia.
Agbonlahor highlighted that Liverpool could sell Salah in 2024 as he would have a year left on his contract, enabling them to replace him with a younger player and allocate the substantial earnings towards new talent.
Salah’s potential move to Al Ittihad would align with the recent trend of Liverpool icons heading to the Saudi Pro League. Fabinho, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino already play in various Saudi clubs. Manager Steven Gerrard is also overseeing Jordan Henderson at Al Ettifaq.
As Salah leaves Liverpool, he departs as a club legend, having achieved remarkable goal-scoring records and contributed to numerous trophies during his tenure at Anfield. Replacing him will be a significant challenge, yet Liverpool’s history of excellent recruitment under Klopp may pave the way for them to find another exceptional talent.