Mohamed Salah has claimed he is more likely to leave Liverpool this summer than remain but the Anfield star is unlikely to have too many alternatives without accepting a paycut
Mohamed Salah has cast further doubt over his future at Liverpool by admitting he is “more out than in” after earning Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders another three points at Southampton on Sunday.
But the Egypt star may find alternative options limited come the summer if he chooses to end an eight-year stay at Anfield.
Few Premier League sides could match his wage demands and the idea of joining a major rival, even as a free agent, will likely be off-putting for the 32-year-old.
That makes a move somewhere else far more likely – yet options across Europe equally remain few and far between unless Salah agrees to take a substantial pay cut from the estimated £350,000-a-week he currently earns.
Here are some of the potential destinations for Salah as Liverpool fans wait anxiously to see if a deal can be agreed with one of the Premier League’s greatest players.
Premier League rivals
Salah is the league’s third highest earner behind only Manchester City ’s Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
But only the Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have a player currently on more than £200,000 per week and even that would be more than a 40% cut in salary. And would Salah be willing to tarnish his reputation among Liverpool fans?
Spain’s big two
Unless Real Madrid decide to sell one of their younger but as talented forwards, the idea of a move to the Santiago Bernabeu is off the table, while Barcelona remain in financial strife and have a host of young wide forwards.
Paris project
Paris Saint-Germain could match Salah’s wage demands but after Kylian Mbappe’s departure they have gone in a more youthful direction this season. Will they decide to pivot for a big name who does not represent a long-term project?
Riyal deal in Saudi
The most obvious destination for Salah. He will earn a huge amount more than present and not risk the wrath of scoring for another team in front of the Kop. Liverpool rebuffed interest in him from the Pro League 15 months ago and Al-Hilal, with an endless sum of money at their disposal, are known to maintain a strong interest.
Major League Soccer
It has proven good enough for Lionel Messi. Salah will not be as big a deal in the States but would represent the next best thing for the next World Cup hosts. The wages will fall but being in America may also open up plenty of new endorsement opportunities.
Or he could just stay…
Salah, like almost every elite player, will judge how much he is valued by a club’s contract offer and, ultimately, this is all about money. But how much is his affiliation towards the club, the city and supporters worth and will he consider accepting a lower offer to maintain those bonds? Only he, his representatives and the club will know that but with teams free to speak to him from January, time is equally of the essence.
