Mo Salah: Liverpool legend could miss out on huge Saudi Pro League payday as fresh transfer update emerges

Mohamed Salah’s next career move may face a significant financial hurdle should the Saudi Pro League implement a more conservative spending model this summer, according to a report.

Liverpool’s Egyptian king announced last month that he will be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, bringing the curtain down on a legendary nine-year career at Anfield.

Salah ranks third on Liverpool’s all-time goalscorer list having netted 256 goals in 438 appearances across all competitions, but only six of those goals have been scored in 23 Premier League games during a sub-standard 2025-26 campaign.

The 33-year-old will hope to leave Liverpool on a high by firing the club to Champions League qualification, before he turns his attention to finding a new club for next season.

Why Salah’s Saudi Pro League move could be in doubt

Salah has long been linked with a big-money switch to the Saudi Pro League, with a whopping £150m bid from Al-Ittihad for his services in the summer of 2023 rejected by Liverpool.

The attacker will be available for free this summer, but any proposed transfer to the Middle East may not be as lucrative as it could have been for the Liverpool legend.

Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol has suggested that the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East could result in Saudi Arabia scaling back its investment in the transfer market, and this may have repercussions for Salah.

"There have already been some changes to the way they invest in football," said Solhekol. "When they first put money into the Saudi Pro League, there was a massive splurge on players. Cristiano Ronaldo is there earning astronomical sums of money.

"There has been a pull back and there will continue to be a pull back. What does that mean for somebody like Mohamed Salah?

"There's still a big appetite from the Saudi Pro League to sign Salah this summer - but perhaps he wouldn't be earning as much as if he had moved to Saudi a few years ago.

"There's a war going on in the Middle East and economies all around the world have been affected, especially those in the Gulf.

"Saudi Arabia is saying: 'We're going to continue investing in sport but we're going to be very sensible'."

If Saudi’s a no-go, who else could sign Salah this summer?

Salah will turn 34 in June, and it remains to be seen whether the Egypt international intends to continue competing at the highest possible level in Europe or move elsewhere in the latter stages of his career.

It is understood that only a handful of European clubs could afford Salah’s wages, with Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain seemingly the most viable option from a financial perspective.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are already well-stocked in wide areas, while joining another Premier League clubs or returning to Italy - having previously played for Roma and Fiorentina - is also considered unrealistic at this stage.

A high-profile switch to MLS remains a possibility should the Saudi move fall through. While North American clubs like Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami cannot match the Middle Eastern financial power, Salah could still earn a substantial salary across the pond.