Liverpool player, Mohamed Salah, may have recently signed a new contract with his current club, but he remains an attractive prospect for the Saudi Pro League. Despite this commitment to Liverpool, Saudi Arabia's sports minister has stated that Salah "fits the identity" of what their league is seeking.
Salah, aged 32, ended months of speculation about his future when he committed to Liverpool earlier this month by signing a two-year contract. This decision was made amidst reports of significant interest from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal has suggested that their interest in the Egyptian forward has not waned despite his recent commitment to Liverpool. However, he also emphasized that attracting younger players is currently a key ambition for their league.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, said:
"I mean, he's a superstar. He's an iconic Arab Muslim. He fits the identity of playing in the Saudi league. It was his decision to renew with, but linking Saudi to him and everything ... I think from Day 1 they link Saudi to him. There wasn't any discussions. But it's good to have that.
"Now you can see that any player wants to renew their contract or sign their, they [the media] are saying that they're coming to Saudi and most 90% of it is not true. But I think we have a strategy that we're working on and everyone is saying that we're just signing any players."
Salah’s career-defining form
Salah has been demonstrating career-defining form this season. He scored an impressive 32 goals and recorded 23 assists in just 46 games across all competitions as Liverpool storms towards the Premier League title.
At one point it seemed like the Saudi Pro League would be an obvious destination for him due to its efforts to attract big names from football. The arrivals of ageing stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar are testament to these efforts.
Youth movement in Saudi Pro League
However, there appears to be a shift in transfer activity within the league this season towards younger talent. Notable examples include Jhon Durán (21) joining Al Nassr and Moussa Diaby (25) joining Al Ittihad.
This strategy seems effective as Al Ittihad currently tops the table with 65 points after playing only 28 games - four points ahead of second-placed Al Hilal.
While the Saudi Pro League's interest in Mohamed Salah remains, their focus has shifted towards attracting younger talent. This strategy is proving successful as evidenced by the league's current standings. However, it remains to be seen whether this will affect their pursuit of established stars like Salah in the future.
