The Saudi Pro League (SPL) have reportedly ratified a major rule change to come into place at a time questions over Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool will intensify.
Under contract until summer 2025, the Premier League’s 10th all-time top goalscorer has been subject to transfer speculation beginning in summer this year. The resurgent SPL, backed by its country’s sovereign wealth fund, made clear the designs of snagging top talent from Europe and uniting them in one competition.
However one name they failed to pry away from his club was Salah, as the Reds remained steadfast to instantly turn down a £150m offer from Al Ittihad on September’s transfer deadline day.
In the months since there has been a ‘will they, won’t they?’ feel to situation in regards of following up their summer interest in the upcoming winter window, however it was eventually confirmed midway through December by the league’s director, Michael Emenalo, that no attempt will be made next month.
Instead Liverpool will get a taste of life without their No.11 when he departs for AFCON after the New Years’ Day clash with Newcastle. He could then return up to over a month later, then finish the season off with a team potentially chasing down a quadruple again.
If the Egyptian has not already agreed a renewed deal on Merseyside prior to the end of the campaign, it would then open the door to the next chapter in the tale.
This is because according to broadcaster Ben Jacobs, the SPL has agreed to allow its member clubs to register 10 foreign players – up from eight in the current and previous seasons – as part of their 25-man squads.
Only eight will be allowed to participate per match, though ultimately the change makes it easier for the SPL’s clubs to buy and house talent from lands afar.
This was ultimately a significant problem for the club that tried to sign Salah in the summer, even without successfully acquiring his services. Al Ittihad’s financial might saw them amass a total of 10 foreign players by the start of the current season, meaning former Celtic winger Jota and former West Bromwich Albion defender Ahmed Hegazi were left unregistered for domestic competition to accommodate others.
They will still have to cut down this list before guaranteeing Salah a starting spot alongside what will no-doubt be a bumper salary, however the fact remains it will make things easier.
Whilst this is going on, Liverpool must weigh up the options of tying down someone who will by that time be a 32-year-old – albeit a record-breaking, match-winning, talismanic 32-year-old – that is already earning the highest wage packet the club has given any individual, and the idea of selling up for a potentially nine-figure fee whilst lining up a replacement.
In the summer there will be only 12 months of his contract remaining, by this time next year he will be almost free to negotiate a pre-agreement for an exit, and if it gets that far then in 2025 he will follow others out of the door at Anfield with no fee attached to his name.
