Mohamed Salah Makes Surprising Admission on Saudi Arabia Transfer and Barcelona, Real Madrid links

Mohamed Salah came close to moving to Saudi Arabia before signing a new Liverpool contract.

Salah admits he could have left Liverpool this summer. / IMAGO/News Images

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has confessed he remains in contact with officials from the Saudi Pro League over a future transfer.

Salah kicked off the 2024–25 season by entering the final year of his contract and several public statements made it abundantly clear he was close to leaving on a free transfer, only for the Egyptian to eventually strike a deal over a two-year extension.

Saudi dealmakers were at one point thought to be confident they were close to wrapping up a deal for Salah, who admitted to ON Sport that he would be heading to the Middle East if he had not renewed his Liverpool contract.

“It was a good opportunity to me, if I hadn‘t renewed with Liverpool it would have happened,” he revealed.

“My relationship with people there [in Saudi Arabia] is still good and ongoing. There were serious negotiations to sign me.”

Salah helped inspire Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph. / IMAGO/NurPhoto

Amid the previous uncertainty over Salah‘s future, there were several suggestions of big-money switches inside Europe. Barcelona and Real Madrid were both touted as suitors, but the forward has revealed that was little more than media speculation.

“There was nothing,” he said of links to the La Liga giants.

Throughout the entire saga, Salah made it clear his preference was to remain at Liverpool, and he thanked fans for what he saw as public pressure on the club to tie him down to fresh terms.

“The negotiations were long, I know the club‘s policy [in negotiations], we reached a middle ground that made us all happy,” he said.

“Part of the pressure on the club came from the fans, I know from the start that they wanted me to continue, and they played their role in all of this.”

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