SUMMARY
- Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has been rumored to leave Anfield this year.
- Salah joined The Reds in 2017, after several stints in Europe.
Cristiano Ronaldo left the Premier League to join Saudi Pro League’s Al-Nassr in December 2022. The move caused chaos worldwide and has certainly had a huge impact on the league’s popularity as well. Ronaldo initially signed a blockbuster deal with the club, which paved the way for other soccer icons to join the Saudi Pro League.
Neymar Jr. and Karim Benzema’s transfers to the Middle East are just the tip of the iceberg. Many notable soccer players moved to the SPL. However, although Ronaldo isn’t the only one now, he remains the face of the league and it’s not even close.
The Portuguese icon has shown no signs of slowing down and has scored 38 goals and made 13 assists in just 44 games for the club. That speaks at length about the impact he has had on Al-Nassr and the role he plays in the team. Despite this, Paul Robinson, a former player, has named a Premier League star as Ronaldo’s replacement in the SPL.
Robinson said to Football Insider, “For me, it’s a done deal. For his personal ambitions, his personal wealth and for his hereditary wealth to leave for his family. Not just that, but because of his religious beliefs. Playing in that league, he will be an icon. Cristiano Ronaldo was taken over there at the start of it all, but he can’t play forever.”
“Mohamed Salah, in that league, tops Ronaldo. The interest that it spikes and the revenue that he brings to that league. That will be the biggest deal that the Premier League has ever seen, I have no doubt,” Robinson added.
Robinson claims that only Salah boasts the popularity and influence to overshadow the 5x Ballon d’Or winner. Like the majority of the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, Salah is also a devoted Muslim. The former Spurs player believes this will play a role as well. Moreover, Salah was able to pull in huge numbers to Anfield, it will be interesting to see how Saudi Arabian fans react if he moves to Al-Ittihad.
Will Mohamed Salah join the Saudi Pro League at the end of the season?
For some context, Salah was linked to Saudi Pro League’s Al-Ittihad, back in 2023. The SPL giants signed Karim Benzema a few months ago and it looks like they aren’t done just yet.
BREAKING: Liverpool have rejected a £150m bid from Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah 💰pic.twitter.com/d3ywQSnKDO
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 1, 2023
There have been loud rumors about Salah’s possible departure, one that could cut Liverpool deeply. The Egyptian forward has undoubtedly been Liverpool’s best player since joining in 2017. He has shown signs of slowing down in recent years after causing a storm initially, but it looks like he’s back this year. The No.11 has scored 18 goals and made 9 assists in 27 games across all competitions.
His age (31 years old) is one of the main reasons why fans believe he could leave Anfield this year. Jurgen Klopp had an aging squad a couple of seasons ago, one that he continued to strengthen with the help of the Fenway Sports Group. His agent, Ramy Abbas, squashed all these rumors and mentioned that the player wouldn’t have signed the contract if he was aiming to leave.
If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC.
— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) August 7, 2023
Salah’s teammate, Roberto Firmino, is also in the SPL right now, playing for Al-Ahli. As for Salah’s future, only time will tell how it plays out. The forward is now aiming to perform at the AFCON, and his departure could be a huge blow for his club as well. This period will speak at length about whether Liverpool can fill Salah’s big shoes.