Mohamed Salah scored against New Zealand on Sunday, assisted another, and helped Egypt to their first-ever World Cup victory. And yet the most consequential question surrounding the 33-year-old right now has nothing to do with what he does on the pitch — it is where he will be doing it come September.
Salah left Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season after an acrimonious fallout with manager Arne Slot, his nine-year association with the club ending not with a grand farewell but with a video message to fans and a cloud of unresolved grievances. He said Slot had made him a scapegoat after a bad result against Leeds in December. The club said very little in response. Both sides moved on, but the wound was visible.
Why Salah Left and What He Said
Speaking publicly for the first time after his departure was confirmed, Salah said: “I am going to the World Cup and then everything will become clear.” It was a measured statement from a man who, throughout his career, has rarely said more than he needs to. He has received offers — multiple of them, from multiple continents — and has not rushed his decision. That composure, even amid the noise, speaks to how he has always operated.
His former Liverpool teammate Andy Robertson also left the club this summer, as did the club in a period of significant transition. Salah, who won two Premier League titles, a Champions League, and became arguably the best player in Anfield history, did not deserve to leave the way he did. But football rarely rewards loyalty the way loyalty deserves.
Saudi Arabia, Europe, or Something Else?
The clearest picture to emerge from reports is that Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia are the front-runners, with the Saudi Pro League offering the kind of contract that European clubs cannot match at his age. Former Red Fabinho is already at Al-Ittihad, which may appeal to Salah's preference for familiarity.
But there are European options too. Clubs in Italy and France have been mentioned, and one Turkish outlet reported that Fenerbahce had made a genuine approach. The idea of Salah in a Champions League environment — where he would still be a match-winner — is not as far-fetched as some might assume. His performance against New Zealand suggested a player with plenty left to give at the highest level.
The Timing Is Everything
The World Cup provides Salah with the perfect showcase, and he knows it. Every goal, every assist, every decisive moment in an Egypt shirt adds leverage to whatever negotiation he enters next. After Sunday's display, whoever signs him will be getting a player in form, motivated, and fully focused on proving he still belongs among the best.
The announcement will come in July. Whatever he decides, it will be one of the summer's defining transfer stories — and given the company he has kept throughout his career, probably not the last chapter.
Transfer context: Mohamed Salah | Age: 33 | Previous club: Liverpool (9 seasons, free transfer exit) | Likely destinations: Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia), Al-Hilal, European club TBC | Decision expected: after 2026 World Cup
0 Comments