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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has a number of great reasons to join Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad and these five will certainly be top of the list
Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah has allegedly agreed to a deal to join Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad, with reports in Spain and England suggesting that all that is left for the deal to be official is an agreement between clubs.
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17:29 - 24.08.2023
Al Ittihad set to go ‘all out’ for Liverpool’s Salah
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has emerged as a last-minute target for Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad
If the rumours are true, there is a huge possibility that Salah could join the latest trove of high-profile players to join the Saudi Pro League, and we have detailed five reasons why the Egyptian could be tempted to join Al Ittihad despite having two years left on his Liverpool contract.
5 reasons why Salah wants Saudi Arabia move
Chance to become the highest-paid player in the world
The first and perhaps most important reason will be the opportunity for Salah to become the highest-paid football player in the world, as Al Ittihad are reportedly sparing no expense to see the transfer happen.
According to Spanish outlet Relevo, Al Ittihad are ready to make Salah the highest-paid player in the Saudi Pro League, beating the world-record £175 million per year that rivals Al Nassr currently pay to Cristiano Ronaldo.
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To put that in perspective, Salah, who is currently among the top earners in the Premier League already, could move from his current salary of £350,000 per week to nearly £480,000 per day with Al Ittihad. Who can say no to such money?
Liverpool’s recent slump
Before Salah joined Liverpool, they were just coming out of a significant slump in their recent history, with the club playing in the UEFA Champions League in only one of five seasons before Salah joined, failing to progress past the group stage on that occasion.
Following Salah’s arrival, Liverpool’s fortunes have significantly improved, with the club claiming a UCL trophy and winning the Premier League title as well during his six-year stint at the club.
However, after finishing 5th during the 2022/23 Premier League season, Salah is set to play in the UEFA Europa League with the Reds for the first time in his career, and the Egyptian had to publicly apologise to the fans for the failure at the end of the season.
A loss of form for many of Liverpool’s stalwarts, a lack of adequate replacements, and the improving strength of rivals combined mean that there could be tough times ahead for the Reds, and Salah might want to leave to avoid having to pen more apologies for the collective failure of the club.
Losing his place as Liverpool’s centre-piece
After two games in the new Premier League season, Salah has been taken off twice already. In comparison, he was only taken off eight times in 38 games last season.
To rub salt in his wounds, he failed to score on the opening day of the Premier League for the first time in his Liverpool career after he was taken off against Chelsea in the Reds’ first game this season, despite the Merseysiders searching for a goal at the time.
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His tantrums after being taken off were not met with coach Jurgen Klopp’s usual anecdote about being happy his players are showing passion, with the Liverpool boss instead saying he did not care about keeping the Egyptian’s scoring streak going.
The signs might be subtle, but with the arrival of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota in the Liverpool fray, Salah is no longer an untouchable in the side and could be keen to go to a side where he has more leverage.
After six record and trophy-filled years at Liverpool, he would want to leave while the ovation is still audible.
Chance to go head-to-head with Sadio Mane
Moving to Saudi Arabia could give Salah the chance to continue his rivalry with former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane.
Arguably the two greatest African players of their generation, Salah and Mane, have not always enjoyed the best of relationships, with touchline spats sometimes soiling their time together at Liverpool.
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14:37 - 15.08.2023
Sadio Mane explains why he is far better than Mohamed Salah
Senegalese striker Sadio Mane has maintained that he is a better player than Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah.
Both are highly competitive, and both are vying to become the first players since Yaya Toure in 2014 to win three African Footballer of the Year awards after accumulating two each so far.
After Mane’s lucrative move to Al Nassr this summer, Salah could be tempted to move to Saudi Arabia to continue their rivalry by joining one of Al Nassr’s biggest adversaries in the Saudi Pro League.
Religious beliefs
Salah is a devout Muslim, and like many of Saudi Arabia’s recent acquisitions, he will be thrilled at the prospect of playing closer to the holy city of Mecca.
His potential teammates, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, as well as a number of other players who transferred to Saudi Arabian clubs, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Riyad Mahrez, and Mane, are all of the same faith and have also been drawn to the prospect of living and working close to Mecca and Medina.
The Egyptian could be the latest devotee to be tempted into making the move, where his religious beliefs will also endear him to the general populace.
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