Liverpool transfer news: Mo Salah's next club NAMED after Saudi Arabia U-TURN

Despite Liverpool’s fantastic start to the season on the pitch, contract talk and transfer speculation has been a constant.

Almost every press conference without fail the Reds’ head coach Arne Slot is asked for an update on Liverpool’s contract negotiations with three of its biggest stars: Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk.

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As it stands all three will be available for a free transfer once their contracts expire in June 2025.

Negotiations have reportedly begun but it doesn’t appear that agreements are imminent for any of the trio, but a new contender for the signature of Mo Salah has now emerged.

Saudi’s Salah U-turn

Although Saudi Arabia has always been flaunted as a possible destination should Salah leave Liverpool, even before the forward was into the final year of his contract, the club that were most interested in his signature were Al-Ittihad.

The Jeddah-based club even reportedly made a €150 million bid for the Egyptian King in September 2023.

Now however, it looks as though it could in fact be one of Al-Ittihad’s biggest rivals, Al-Hilal, that may add Salah to their ranks in the summer.

According to talkSPORT's Saudi football correspondent, Ben Jacobs, Al-Hilal want to sign Salah at the start of June so that the winger can be a part of their FIFA Club World Cup campaign.

"The Saudi football federation will be taking FIFA up on this so-called exceptional window ahead of the Club World Cup.” Jacobs told talkSPORT.

"So they could in theory try and sign Salah between June 1 and 10, which means they're looking at him for not just the Saudi Pro League but for the Club World Cup."

Mo Salah’s appeal to Al-Hilal

The biggest name currently on the books for Riyadh-based Al-Hilal is Neymar, but the Brazilian has struggled since arriving in Saudi Arabia and is also out of contract in the summer.

Mo Salah is the ideal replacement for Al-Hilal, with an extension for Neymar looking unlikely, and the club will be looking to impress at the Club World Cup in order to improve the global standing of the Saudi Pro League.

Even at 32 years of age, Salah is still lighting up the Premier League and the Champions League for Liverpool.

The winger would become one of, if not the best, player in the league should he make a move to Al-Hilal, but it may not be a move that Salah wants to make.

The experiences of former teammates Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane will likely have some influence on Salah’s decision if he were to consider the move to Saudi Arabia.

Liverpool supporters will remain hopeful that their talisman will put pen to paper on an extension and commit his future to the Reds, but Al-Hilal may be waiting in the wings if he doesn’t and a move to Saudi Arabia could finally materialise.