Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah remains a target for the Saudi Pro League despite the league’s shift to younger players.
Salah’s future is up in the air after that his bombshell interview last month in which he accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” and suggested he had no relationship with boss Arne Slott.
After his explosive comments, Ski Sports News reported that Saudi clubs are keen to sign the Egypt international but would need to have a clear indication that he is ready to play there before moving for the Reds star.
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Salah has returned to training ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League game in Marseille
Clubs including Al Ittihad and Al Hilal have tried to sign Salah over the past two years, but he has never shown a firm desire to leave Europe’s top level of club football and move to the Saudi Pro League (SPL).
SPL clubs have changed their strategy and are now targeting younger players rather than stars nearing the end of their careers.
But Francesca Petriccione, a legal and strategic adviser to Serie A, Premier League and La Liga clubs specializing in the Saudi Arabian market, says the SPL will make an exception for Salah, 33.
When asked if Salah was a unique case for the SPL, she said Ski Sports News: “Yes, exactly.
“The technical contribution and global visibility that Mohamed Salah can bring to the Saudi Pro League is incredible.”
“But today we are in a more mature stage, and it is not about footballers going to Saudi Arabia for money and then leaving.”
“This is about career development and Saudi football becoming one of the legitimate stages of that evolution.”
Does the exit from Cancela weaken the position of the SPL?
Joao Cancelo joined Al Hilal from Manchester City in August 2024
The SPL suffered a high-profile departure this month after Joao Cancelo went on loan to Barcelona.
The former Manchester City defender returned to the La Liga club after just 18 months at Al Hilal following his move from Manchester City in August 2024.
The Portugal international’s departure comes months after former Aston Villa striker John Duran also returned to European football after a loan spell at Fenerbahce, raising doubts about the SPL’s ability to retain stars.
Petriccione, however, claims that Cancelo’s departure is not a “weakness of the system”.
She said: “First of all, Joao Cancelo didn’t leave a void. He left an imprint.
“The fact that today a footballer can arrive, deliver and move on is not a weakness of the system. It is proof that the system is mature enough to generate value without depending on permanent retention.”
“This does not reduce the attractiveness of the league, but repositions it in a context where value is no longer tied to the names of individual stars, but to the robustness of the system as a whole.”