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Mohamed Salah’s potential move to the Saudi Pro League is not guaranteed, Al-Kholood chairman Ben Harburg has warned.
The Liverpool forward has been strongly linked with a transfer to Saudi Arabia in the wake of his sensational interview on Saturday following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw against Leeds United. That resulted in Salah remaining in Liverpool for the midweek trip to Italy, as the Reds beat Inter Milan 2-1.
He may even have played his final game for the club, with the Egyptian set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations next week. That competition runs until mid-January, by which stage Salah may have already completed a move to the Saudi Pro League.
The 33-year-old has admitted that he spoke to club executives in Saudi Arabia last season regarding a possible transfer, when his contract was expiring at Anfield. Given his status as perhaps the world's most recognizable Muslim player, securing Salah’s signature has been a long-term aim for the league.
A transfer could also have taken place in 2023, when Al-Ittihad saw a reported £150 million ($201M) offer rejected by Liverpool.
However, those previous dealings could make league officials wary of returning for Salah, warned Harburg, whose Al-Kholood side sits 11th in the Saudi Pro League table.
“There's a narrative around him that they asked him to come before and he rejected us,” the club chairman told the Independent.
“These are not people that like to be spurned and are going to come back around the second time.
“So I do think that there's already, even amongst the public, much more apprehension around his coming into the league.
“He's 33 years old, he got paid a boatload [at Liverpool] and has underperformed massively since then.“
He added, “I'm sure some people like his star power; he's from the region, but my sentiment is that he is not a fit for our league. If it were between him and Vinicius, I'd take Vinicius.
“I'm hoping we go after those 25-year-old next wave players rather than guys like Salah, who definitely this would be the last stop of his career.”
However, Omar Mugharbel, chief executive for the Saudi Pro League, has revealed Salah is a transfer target.
“Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players,” he told BBC Sport. “For sure, Salah is one of them [a target].”
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