Mohamed Salah has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia for quite some time, and the Liverpool winger was seemingly close to making the switch last year.
Saudi Arabian clubs lined up to sign Salah in 2023 with Liverpool rejecting a massive offer to keep the Egyptian winger at Anfield for the season, with the 32-year-old’s current contract now due to expire at the end of this campaign.
With Salah still attracting interest from Saudi Arabian clubs alongside Virgil van Dijk, there’s a real chance that the Liverpool legend could still end up making the move to the Middle East if no new deal is signed by the forward.
And Saudi Pro League sporting director Michael Emenalo has now shared how close Salah actually came to leaving Liverpool.
Saudi Arabian clubs did hold transfer talks with Mohamed Salah
Speaking on the Obi One podcast, the former Nigerian international shared that there was a strong interest in signing Salah last summer, though the Saudi Pro League were ultimately unable to convince the winger to leave Liverpool.
Had the Saudi Pro League got their way, Salah would be the face of the Middle Eastern division, yet the Liverpool winger was seemingly not ready to make the move, with Emenalo saying when asked if the attacker will move to Saudi Arabia soon: “I think it depends on Mo.
READ MORE: Everything to know on Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah from his wife to net worth
“The stories that our teams went after him was true, it is true, there was an interest, but just like Osimhen, it’s ok for me to have an interest in signing Mo, but the club have to have an interest in letting him go, and if those things don’t align, you don’t have a deal.
“Fundamentally, Liverpool didn’t want to sell and what price were we willing to buy at? I didn’t feel the player was ready to come because he felt like he had unfinished business.”
Who else has left Liverpool for Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia’s influence in football is only a recent phenomenon in the grand scheme of things, yet Liverpool fans will be aware of a number of former players who made the move to the Middle East.
Former captain Jordan Henderson made the move last year, losing his spot in the England national team in the process, with Fabinho and Roberto Firmino also moving to the Saudi Pro League that summer.
Club legend Steven Gerrard was recruited by Saudi Arabia to become manager of Al-Ettifaq, who this summer brought in another former Liverpool star in midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.
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