In what could be the last season at Anfield for the “Egyptian King”, the legendary Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is reportedly making arrangements for his farewell. The Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah kept the football world in suspense when he revealed through a tearful video message that he is set to leave Liverpool after ending the 2025-26 Premier League season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
The 33-year-old forward still has a contract running till 2027, but both the player and club agreed to release him as a free agent this summer, thus ending an amazing nine years together.
Salah scored over 250 goals and in 400+ outings for the Reds. He leaves as the third highest scorer in the club’s history and one of the major contributors to the club’s two Premier League stars, and winning a Champions League trophy.
As the Liverpool coach, Arne Slot management is getting tough to finish in the top four, the international competition for Salah’s signature has been reduced to a face-off between Saudi Arabia’s financial power and the increasing appeal of Major League Soccer in the USA.
Why Is Mohamed Salah Leaving Liverpool?
Leaving almost a year ahead of schedule was the result of a difficult season that saw the relationship between Mohamed Salah and head coach Arne Slot break down publicly. Mohamed Salah expressed that he felt “thrown under the bus” after being dropped for three consecutive matches, which was the moment when tensions reached their highest point in December 2025. In a way, by making this announcement, Mohamed Salah is actually giving the club time to find a replacement while at the same time he makes sure that he is given a proper farewell from the Kop before he turns 34 this June.
Will Saudi Arabia Make Mohamed Salah The World’s Highest Paid Player?
The Saudi Pro League sees Salah as the perfect representative of the region, and since his current contract is coming to an end, they would be able to use the huge transfer fee to give him a record-setting signing bonus. Also, talks about a possible team-up with Ronaldo at Al Nassr or taking over the role of the outgoing Karim Benzema at Al Ittihad have made the Middle East the most likely destination for the next chapter in his career.
Can MLS Lure Mohamed Salah To Join The Messi Revolution?
Even though the amount of money that is available in the desert is something that had never been seen before, Major League Soccer (MLS) is presenting a legacy of a different kind. Commissioner Don Garber has been very positive about the idea of Salah coming to the league and even mentioned him together with great players like Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller, and Antoine Griezmann.
It is said that San Diego FC, the newest MLS team, which is backed by an Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour, is the top American candidate for him. Being in California and turning into the symbol of a new club may also mean that he will be playing against Messi’s Inter Miami. In this case, the lifestyle and the branding potential might actually be as attractive as the financial draw from the Gulf.
Who Will Liverpool Target To Replace Salah?
Replacing a player who has averaged a goal involvement every 1.4 league matches is a daunting task for the Liverpool hierarchy. Internal reports suggest the club is “shortening long lists” of summer targets in consultation with Arne Slot, provided the Dutchman retains his job. Names like Takefusa Kubo and Leroy Sane have been floated as potential heirs to the right wing throne.
However, club legend Steven Gerrard recently warned that a like-for-like replacement for Salah’s output simply might not exist in the current market, forcing Liverpool to potentially reinvent their entire attacking system for the 2026–27 campaign.
