‘More Appealing’—Hint Over Mohamed Salah’s Next Destination in MLS vs. Saudi Battle

Mohamed Salah’s post-Liverpool future may lie on the opposite side of the Atlantic rather than the Arabian Peninsula, with Major League Soccer now viewed inside the game as a “more appealing” option than the Saudi Pro League, according to well-placed sources.

The 32-year-old Egyptian is tied to Liverpool through June 2027 after signing an extension last April, yet persistent questions over his long-term role at Anfield refuse to disappear. A touchline row with manager Arne Slot in December briefly dominated headlines, and although the winger has started every match since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, speculation over a summer departure has never truly subsided.

For months the assumption has been that Salah would eventually join the Saudi Pro League, where his commercial pull and iconic status in the Muslim world would command record wages. Yet Liverpool beat writer James Pearce told The Athletic’s Walk On podcast that MLS has emerged as a credible alternative. “It’s been suggested to me that [MLS] actually is more appealing in many ways than the Saudi Pro League,” Pearce said.

The financial gap between the two destinations remains significant—Saudi clubs can outspend almost any competitor—but Messi’s $20.45 million annual package at Inter Miami illustrates that top-tier salaries are attainable in the United States. Off-field lifestyle factors are thought to weigh heavily; Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo have repeatedly praised the cultural fit of South Florida, and the Argentine recently described MLS as “a very dynamic and physical league where teams want to score and play on the attack.”

Salah will sample North American conditions first-hand at the 2026 World Cup, with Egypt scheduled for group-stage fixtures in Seattle and Vancouver. A short hop from tournament duty to an MLS locker room is considered feasible as early as July.

Not every franchise could realistically accommodate him. Inter Miami already occupy all three Designated Player slots, while other high-profile markets have yet to declare interest. Chicago Fire, long linked with Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, have explored a marquee attacking signing as part of a broader reboot, and expansion side San Diego FC—backed by Egyptian-born billionaire Mohamed Mansour—are similarly ambitious. LAFC possess both an open DP berth and the vaunted No. 10 shirt Salah has worn for Egypt since 2014.

Discovery Rights, which grant MLS teams exclusive negotiating windows with overseas talent, have not yet been assigned to Salah, leaving the field wide open. Vancouver Whitecaps paid $200,000 in general allocation money last year to secure Thomas Müller’s rights from FC Cincinnati, underlining the quiet market that precedes major coups.

With Liverpool braced for a squad refresh, Salah’s age, wage, and evolving tactical role could push all parties toward an exit strategy. Whether that path ends in Riyadh or Los Angeles now appears less certain than ever.