Mohamed Salah a target for Saudi, confirms league chief, days after Liverpool outburst

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is a target for the Saudi Pro League, the league’s chief has confirmed.

Salah was left out of Liverpool’s squad for their 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Wednesday after an explosive outburst in the aftermath of their 3-3 draw with Leeds on Saturday evening, which claimed he had been “thrown under the bus by the club”.

After starting on the bench for the third successive game under Arne Slot, the 33-year-old said he had been blamed for Liverpool’s poor form and that his relationship with the Reds boss had broken down.

In the shock interview in the mixed zone at Elland Road, the Egyptian forward opened the door to a departure from Anfield in January.

Now Saudi chief executive Omar Mugharbel has confirmed that the Pro League are interested in signing the two-time Premier League winner.

Speaking at the World Football Summit in Riyadh, he added: “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players.

“For sure Salah is one of them [a target].”

Salah: ‘I would gone to Saudi without Liverpool deal’

Salah signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool last summer which reportedly sees him earn £400,000 per week, with a Saudi club likely to be among the few sets of sides able to afford his wages.

The forward even admitted earlier this year that the Saudi Pro League would have been the likely destination had he not decided to remain on Merseyside.

“My contract was about to finish with the club and I thought that if I didn’t renew with the club there I was a very strong chance that I would go there,” Salah said to Arabic broadcaster ON Sport.

“But in the end we reached an agreement with the club.

“I still have a good relationship with the people in Saudi Arabia and I always stay in contact with them.”

However, not every Saudi club will be interested, with Al-Kholood chairman Ben Harburg calling Salah “a bad fit” and suggesting Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr would be a better signing.

“There’s already, even among the public, much more apprehension around his coming into the league,” Harburg said.

“He’s 33 years old, he got paid a boatload [at Liverpool] and has underperformed massively since then.

“I’m sure some people like his star power, he’s from the region, but my sentiment is that he is not a fit for our league. If it were between him and Vinicius, I’d take Vinicius.

“I’m hoping we go after those 25-year-old next-wave players rather than guys like Salah, who definitely this would be the last stop of his career.”