When the summer transfer window opens, one story will dominate all others: where will Mohamed Salah go? The Egyptian forward confirmed this week that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season on a free transfer, by mutual agreement with the club. His contract, worth roughly £500,000 per week, has one year left but will not be extended. His agent confirmed no future club has been chosen, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated transfer narratives in recent football history.
Salah’s nine seasons at Liverpool have produced extraordinary returns. He has scored 255 goals in 435 appearances — the third-highest total in the club’s 134-year history — and won four Premier League Golden Boots and three PFA Player of the Year awards. He was instrumental in some of the club’s greatest achievements in the modern era, including the 2019 Champions League win and back-to-back Premier League title victories. The club rejected a £150 million bid for him in 2023, believing his best years were still ahead. His form this season has been inconsistent, though his quality has never truly been in doubt.
In his farewell message, shared via social media, Salah described Liverpool in terms that went well beyond football. He spoke of a spirit and a passion that he had not expected to find when he arrived in 2017, and he thanked the supporters for the sustaining role they had played throughout his nine years on Merseyside. His closing reference to the club’s famous anthem was a generous, sincere gesture toward the fans who have chanted his name at Anfield week after week.
This season has seen Salah navigate a very public disagreement with Arne Slot, the manager who succeeded Jurgen Klopp. Salah’s comments in December — in which he questioned both their communication and the club’s management of a difficult period — drew intense scrutiny. He was dropped for a Champions League fixture before being restored and rebuilding his form. Most memorably, he scored his 50th Champions League goal against Galatasaray, becoming the first African player in history to reach that milestone.
The queue of clubs wishing to sign him this summer is expected to be long. Saudi Pro League teams, which bid £150 million as recently as 2023, now have the advantage of being able to sign him without a transfer fee. European clubs will also explore the possibility. Whatever the outcome, the Salah transfer story will command the attention of the football world throughout the coming months, until the day he puts pen to paper and his next chapter officially begins.