Mohamed Salah Will Be Leaving Liverpool at the End of the Season

Mohamed Salah’s era at Liverpool will conclude when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign, the club confirmed Tuesday, setting off a global scramble for the 33-year-old Egyptian’s signature. Despite speculation linking him immediately to Inter Miami, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported Friday that the MLS champions are not pursuing the winger at this time.

Salah, whose deal runs through 2027, will depart Anfield as a free agent after the Reds’ final Premier League fixture on May 24, allowing suitors to negotiate directly with the player rather than with Liverpool. The development has reignited a two-horse race between Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League, each eager to showcase one of the game’s most prolific scorers.

MLS commissioner Don Garber welcomed the possibility Thursday at the Sports Business Journal conference in Atlanta. “Mo Salah is one of the great players in the history of the Premier League … I’d love to see him in our league,” Garber said, noting he could not comment until Salah announced his departure. “What a great player he would be in MLS, and I think we would provide him with a great platform.”

Romano, however, poured cold water on talk of a Miami move. “Guys, let me clarify this very clearly: Inter Miami are not in negotiations to sign Mo Salah,” he said on his YouTube channel. “Despite reports … Inter Miami are not focusing their efforts on Mohamed Salah.”

The Saudi Pro League, long enamored with Salah, remains undeterred. Al Ittihad, which saw a $200 million bid rejected in September 2023, has already re-entered discussions and is viewed as the early favorite to secure his services. “Saudi, they still dream of him,” Romano added.

New York City FC CEO Brad Sims echoed the sentiment of many MLS clubs, saying recruitment must be player-driven. “We have not had any discussions with him or his people,” Sims told reporters. “We want players who really want to be here.”

With no fee required and no decision yet made by Salah, expect a summer of escalating rumors as MLS, Saudi Arabia, and potentially European sides vie to land the forward who has left an indelible mark on English football.