Liverpool Star Mohamed Salah Confirms Serious Discussions with Saudi Pro League

Mohamed Salah, the star forward for Liverpool, recently revealed that his discussions with officials from the Saudi Pro League were quite serious, despite ultimately opting to extend his contract with the Premier League champions.

Negotiations between Salah and Liverpool were protracted, with the Egyptian winger mentioning to NBC Sports last November that he felt “more out than in” during the discussions.

Salah was honoured for the third time as the Football Writers’ Association’s men’s player of the year and spoke in an interview with On Sport, an Egyptian TV channel, following the awards ceremony that aired on Sunday.

When questioned about his conversations with SPL representatives, the league’s top scorer responded, “It was a solid opportunity for me; had I not renewed with Liverpool, it would have materialised“.

“My rapport with SPL officials is excellent; we had numerous discussions, and the negotiations were serious,” he noted.

Eventually, Salah signed a new deal that will keep him at Anfield until 2027, crediting Liverpool’s fans for their influence in his decision.

“The negotiations were lengthy, and I’m aware of the club’s approach in these matters. We found a compromise that satisfied everyone involved,” he said.

He further acknowledged, “A portion of the pressure on the club stemmed from the fans. I knew from the outset that they wanted me to stay, and they played a significant part in all of this“.

Salah, who is the second player to secure the FWA award three times following former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, topped the Premier League goal-scoring chart this season with 29 goals, contributing to Liverpool’s second league title since his arrival in 2017.

Additionally, he compared current Liverpool manager Arne Slot with former manager Jurgen Klopp.

“Each manager has a unique style of play, but I have frequent discussions with Slot, and we share a strong understanding,” Salah stated.

“In contrast to Klopp, we engage in dialogue quite often. He was upfront with me from the start, expressing his desire to maximise my potential, and I conveyed that I wanted to feel at ease on the pitch.”

The Egyptian international praised Klopp for his contributions to the club, stating that the German “gave so much to the club, leading it to numerous victories”.