Mohamed Salah’s departure from Liverpool may not have been the biggest surprise in football, but it leaves many questions about the future of one of the Premier League’s greatest players, and arguably Africa’s best.
The Egyptian international rose to the top of club football with the Merseysiders. Salah was a sleeping giant until he won two Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
This season, a public falling out with Reds manager Arn Slott meant the end of his time at Anfield was inevitable, even after repairing his PR and returning from his club-imposed banishment, following his own criticism of the season and the club’s response.
Al Jazeera Sports looks at what options and inspiration the 33-year-old has going forward, or whether this is the end of the Egyptian king’s reign.
The end of Salah’s Premier League era
Despite Salah’s statistics suggesting that the Egyptian star will have no problems maintaining his level of performance in the world’s number one league, a move to another Premier League club and further playing time in England’s top flight is certainly not in the cards for a variety of reasons.
Sentiment and loyalty will be at the forefront of Salah’s thinking. His farewell message to Liverpool fans on social media when he announced his departure at the end of the season on Tuesday confirms the fact that it will be very difficult to match up with his domestic rivals.
Salah is only available to a very limited number of Premier League teams, primarily regular clubs in and around the UEFA Champions League qualification spots. Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United are almost instantly ruled out, but for an even more obvious reason than simply competing for position: the latter is Liverpool’s biggest enemy.
Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are clubs facing the possibility of relegation this season, but could be considered as options for the player who until recently was one of Europe’s hottest clubs, barring too deep a fall from grace.
However, these clubs have limited financial options and acquiring Salah with a financial offer on par with other suitors would be more than these three clubs could afford without disrupting their domestic wage structure.
Will the Saudi Pro League show interest in Salah again?
The most likely option for Salah would be a move to Saudi Arabia. When the rift between Salah and Liverpool made headlines this season, the Saudi Professional League (SPL) immediately rolled out the red carpet and took immediate action.
Having signed superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, but missing out on Lionel Messi, only the signing of the greatest Arab player in the region’s top flight could surpass their previous achievements.
A move to the SPL has long been touted for this reason, long before this season’s turmoil at Anfield, but Salah’s move seemed like a clear step forward for him after his time in European football ended.
The speed with which Salah left Liverpool is perhaps the only shock given the uncertainty this season.
Could MLS land Salah?
Another likely option for Salah is a move to Major League Soccer. From David Beckham to Lionel Messi, America’s top flight has been trying to make its mark on the stars of the global game long before the SPL stepped into the ring as a challenger to conquer Europe’s club competition.
Not only does MLS want to be successful domestically, but they also see their brand as having a global goal: bringing the world game to the United States. It is possible to snatch Salah from under Saudi Arabia’s nose, but it would be an amazing coup.
Taking away the best of African and Arab football from regions eager to sign it would be a nail in the coffin in the battle between the two highest-paying leagues outside of Europe.
If MLS were to make a move to acquire Salah, their most attractive selling point would be to take advantage of the uncertainty in the Middle East.
Salah and his young family’s move to the United States will bring the glitz and glamor that MLS has offered Messi and others, as well as dining out with the help of global brand icons like Beckham, co-owner of Messi’s club, Inter Miami.
Will Salah be able to stay in Europe if he moves to Spain, Italy, France or Germany?
There is little doubt that Salah’s stats will continue to attract the attention of Europe’s top clubs. Domestically, Salah will have a field day on one of the continent’s major routes outside of the Premier League.
But wages will once again limit candidates. From Paris Saint-Germain to Bayern Munich, the money will be used to pay Salah, but apart from Real Madrid and Barcelona, it is unlikely to significantly boost budgets in Spain or even across Italy.
It may be possible to lock up an elite player who isn’t too far from a top-tier player for two years, but it looks more like a long-term deal than the big contracts likely to be offered by Saudi Arabia or the United States.
Will this be the end or will Egypt’s World Cup and AFCON glory inspire Salah?
Salah’s days in the world’s best league appear to be coming to an end, and with it the end of the top tables of European competition, but this is not the end.
It is unlikely that the club’s glory will ever reach the dizzying heights it once did, but Salah does not want his story and glittering career to diminish in this way. And Salah has other problems to solve.
No matter where Salah falls now, there is a high possibility that he will leave. Only Real Madrid and Barcelona could offer the forward the same level of club exposure.
There are two big questions, one of which will still irritate Salah.
Unsurprisingly, despite being regarded by his home country as the King of Egypt and by a wider audience as Africa’s greatest figure, Salah has not led Egypt to international glory, particularly the African Cup of Nations.
Egypt lost to Senegal in the semi-finals in the last tournament in January. Many speculated that Salah’s last chance at AFCON glory was over.
But relegation in club football could prolong Salah’s international career, and with AFCON to be held again in 2027, Salah will certainly not give up on finally winning the continent’s biggest ever award – a record seven times his country has won in total.
But first, the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In fact, upon leaving AFCON, the Egyptian coach said he hoped the pain would inspire even greater glory.
“It was a very good preparation for us. Throughout the tournament we tried several playing systems and played against different types of opponents,” Hossam Hassan said of the 1-0 loss to Sehenar.
“We came very close to the final, but that’s football.
“I’m happy with everything that happened and what we achieved. We have a good team.”
Fellow North African country Morocco proved what can be achieved at Qatar 2022, becoming the first country from the African continent to reach the last four of the World Cup.
Egypt are not setting their sights on bringing a record AFCON title to the world stage, although they have not won since 2010. Exceeding the feat achieved by Qatar’s Atlas Lions will be at the forefront of all African countries in the future.
In addition to finally clinching the AFCON title, signing off on world football’s marquee event will be a far more fitting finale to a career laden with awards and trophies than a feud with his beloved club or a backdoor exit from the domestic game.
