Saudi Pro League (SPL) side Al-Hilal have reportedly reopened contact with Mohamed Salah’s entourage.
Salah, 32, is one of Liverpool’s all-time greatest players, with the Egyptian having scored a remarkable 232 goals in 378 games for the club since joining from Roma in 2017 for an initial £36.5million fee.
The forward has won eight trophies at Anfield and remains integral to Arne Slot’s side as they continue to impress so far this season.
However, Salah’s contract expires in the summer and the Egyptian is yet to extend his deal, with speculation over his future currently a major talking point – and the forward has regularly provided cryptic answers when questioned over his future.
Reports had circulated earlier on Thursday that Saudi chiefs were preparing to make a move for Salah, amid the uncertainty over his future, with this coming after Liverpool rejected a £150m bid from Al-Ittihad in September 2023.
And now, a fresh report in French outlet L’Equipe has claimed Saudi giants Al-Hilal are ramping up their interest in the 32-year-old.
Saudi side Al-Hilal have reportedly reopened contact with Mohamed Salah’s entourage
Salah’s future continues to be a major talking point and he has been linked with Saudi Arabia
Saudi champions Al-Hilal are hoping to convince Salah to make the move to the Middle East
The report claims Al-Hilal, who won the SPL last season and have the likes of Ruben Neves, Neymar and Aleksandar Mitrovic in their squad, have been long-term admirers of Salah.
As the months tick by without Salah extending his Liverpool deal, Al-Hilal, along with PSG, are now viewed as the main contenders for the forward if he does depart Anfield.
This comes following the expectation that Neymar will leave the Saudi side at the end of the season following an injury-ravaged two-year spell, leaving them free to register an extra foreign player in their squad – a spot that would be available to Salah.
The report goes onto add that Al-Hilal are hoping to convince Salah to head to the Middle East, although no concrete offer has yet been made.
The latest speculation on Salah comes just a day after Turki Alalshikh – the chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority – shared a picture of Salah in an Al-Hilal kit on his Facebook page.
According to The Sun, Alalshikh – who has also played a large role in the country’s effective takeover of boxing – signaled the PIF-owned club’s intent to land Salah in summer.
The report claimed that Saudi chiefs are willing to offer Salah a mouthwatering £65m two-year deal should he decide to walk away from Merseyside.
Salah, 32, is one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players having scored 232 goals for the club
However, the Egyptian is yet to extend his contract despite it expiring at the end of the season
Neymar is expected to leave in the summer, giving Al-Hilal room to register another foreign star
Meanwhile, Salah has dropped repeated hints over recent months that this season could be his last at Anfield, although the club and player are said to be keen to agree fresh terms – and Mail Sport reported last month how the Reds have offered him a contract.
In an interview with Sky Sports in January, Salah even declared that ‘this is my last year’ with Liverpool as he outlined his intention to depart with the Premier League title.
Elsewhere, in November, Salah shocked the football world when he publicly called out the club for a lack of progress on offering him a new deal.
The forward conducted a rare interview with Mail Sport and a small group of other reporters after scoring twice in the 3-2 victory at Southampton, where he said he was ‘more out than in’.
Addressing his contract stand-off, Salah had said: ‘We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club.
‘I’m probably more out than in. You know I have been in the club for many years.
‘There is no club like this. But in the end it is not in my hands. As I said, it is December and I haven’t received anything yet about my future.
‘I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans’ hands.’
Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh has reportedly signalled Al-Hilal’s intent to sign the Egyptian
Alalshikh shared a picture of Salah in an Al-Hilal kit on his Facebook page on Wednesday
The forward has continued to drop hints about his future to the media over recent months
In the aftermath of Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Man City in December in which the forward scored and added an assist, Salah again hinted that he could be on his way out of the club.
‘It’s very special,’ the 32-year-old explained. ‘I said before, I don’t take it for granted. I’m enjoying every minute here.
‘It feels like home. So, yeah, it’s a special feeling. It always is to score at Anfield and win games.
‘Of course, honestly, in my head, it was like this is my problem, until now, the last City game I play for Liverpool, so I’m just gonna enjoy it.
‘The atmosphere was incredible, so I’m enjoying every second here. And yeah, finally we just (hopefully) win the league and see what will happen.’
Liverpool currently sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League, with Arne Slot’s side returning to action on Saturday when they travel to Brentford.
