Mohamed Salah’s move from Liverpool to Saudi Arabia could be in jeopardy after the Pro League reportedly changed its transfer policy.
A switch to Saudi Arabia has felt inevitable for a long time and appeared to be edging closer during the January transfer window following the Egyptian’s controversial comments about his Liverpool future at the start of December.
Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool? Key details:
- Long-anticipated move to Saudi Arabia potentially under threat
- Pro League shifting focus toward signing younger players
- Salah would be an exception to new policy
- January transfer unlikely, but summer move not ruled out
Surprisingly, Liverpool legend Salah has since been reintegrated into Arne Slot’s starting XI and scored in Wednesday’s emphatic 6-0 Champions League win over Qarabag.
A transfer before Monday’s deadline is highly unlikely, but speculation is expected to intensify once the summer window opens.
Salah has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia for the past three years, to the point where the word ‘inevitable’ has been repeatedly used, yet it still hasn’t happened.
Even so, a summer transfer still feels firmly on the cards.
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Salah to Saudi still inevitable – but age policy creates doubt
However, a reported shift in the Saudi Pro League’s recruitment strategy could complicate matters.
The Saudi Pro League is said to be placing a greater emphasis on signing younger players, potentially jeopardising a move for the 32-year-old.
That said, Salah may still be viewed as an exception.
Former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness believes Salah is being lined up to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as the face of the league.
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Salah tipped as Ronaldo successor despite age policy
“Well, it’s funny, Salah would be an outlier because the policy that I’m hearing is we’re talking about 50 players — it’s a big number — but that’s potentially nearly all the clubs in Saudi,” Wyness told Football Insider.
“Now the reason it is this sort of number, and where it has come from, is the fact that when the Saudi league started, they all signed two or three big-name players at the time and now those contracts are coming up for renewal again.
“So they’re looking to replenish and restock in a lot of those places.
“The policy they’ve stated is that they only want to sign players between 21 and 30, so they’re moving away from the older names and trying to establish the league into phase two — making it more competitive and bringing younger talent in.
“Now of course Salah doesn’t fit into that. But then again, he is the outlier and the exception because he is Mo Salah.
“He’s Egyptian, he’s a Muslim, and he’s a great world talent — and they need to replace Ronaldo.
“And so, of course, I still believe, and always have done, that Salah’s going to go there.
“So I think he is the outlier in terms of the policy they’ve talked about of signing younger players now.”
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