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Is Mohamed Salah the world's best footballer?

Is Mohamed Salah the world's best footballer?

  • Yes, he is the best footballer

    Votes: 13 68.4%

  • No, there others who are better or at par with him

    Votes: 6 31.6%
  • Total voters
    19
Mohamed Salah scored his 200th Liverpool goal as Jurgen Klopp's side produced a late comeback against 10-man Crystal Palace to move top of the Premier League and increase the pressure on former boss Roy Hodgson.
 
He was never the best in the world.

There were others who were ahead of him (Messi, Ronaldo, Lukaku etc.).
 
At the age of 50 you can put him on the pitch, he can do nothing for 89 mins and then pull out a moment of brilliance in a split second.
 
Mohamed Salah is the fifth player to score 150 Premier League goals for one club. He reached to this milestone during Liverpool win over Newcastle United in which he scored two goals.

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aboveandbeyond said:
For me the best player in the premiership in the last 5 years
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For sure. KDB has been great but Mo has been vital for Liverpool in winning all those trophies and competing for the League against the richest club in Europe.

He is so athletic , with amazing fitness levels. This helps to bring out his talents, his skills and his confidence grows.

After missing the pen in the first half, many players go missing, heads drop etc. But Mo only became more determined, stronger, faster and more clinical.

When he is away now, LFC fans will really know how incredible he is.

To do this season after season for 6 years is not normal.
 
Salah on winning the Premier League: "We believe too much. We have top talents. They just need to work hard".

"Going to AFCON? I want to win it! I love playing for my country. Without me they will be fine. We have fantastic players", told Sky.
 
I don't see Liverpool winning the title this year because that MF doesn't look right. But by the same token no one looks right at the moment, so it's very open
 
Bewal Express said:
I don't see Liverpool winning the title this year because that MF doesn't look right. But by the same token no one looks right at the moment, so it's very openI
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LFC now have a very good midfield. Endo, Szobo, Mac Allister, Jones and even Elliiot and Graven are great on their day. These guys rotate really well, they play with amazing energy.

Try to get a ticket to Villa Park when we play, you'll see a lot of them . :)
 
KingKhanWC said:
LFC now have a very good midfield. Endo, Szobo, Mac Allister, Jones and even Elliiot and Graven are great on their day. These guys rotate really well, they play with amazing energy.

Try to get a ticket to Villa Park when we play, you'll see a lot of them . :)
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I am not convinced. Its a solid MF but in tight games you need a game breaker and atm none of these guys convince me. As the pressure of the favourite tags takes affect, we will see if they can cope with it.
 
Mo Salah came close to missing another penalty after hitting the crossbar and relying on the ball to rebound off the goalkeeper's backside into the back of the net.

The Liverpool superstar linked-up with the Egyptian national team for the African Cup of Nations, which will get underway next weekend.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1744055957078843773
 

Africa the next frontier for trophy hunter Salah​

In between reaching those title deciders, hosts Egypt suffered a humiliating last-16 loss to outsiders South Africa that left a 70,000 Cairo crowd speechless.

Egypt are among the favourites for the 2024 title in the Ivory Coast as they seek a record-extending eighth title in the premier African sporting event.

Drawn with Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group B, it is widely expected that Egypt will finish first and qualify for the round of 16.

But captain Salah and his Pharaohs teammates want more. Much more. They want to play in the February 11 final at the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan and win it.

"I want to win this competition," said the prolific scorer in Cairo as he showed off a new haircut following social media criticism of his scraggly locks.

"Having come so close twice, I would love to help Egypt win the final and lift the Cup of Nations trophy.

"I am so happy to play in this wonderful African football tournament and my teammates and I are desperate to succeed.

"It means a lot to play for the Egyptian national team. It is a great feeling to put on the red jersey, which has been worn by some many greats in the past.

'Representing millions'
"Every time I step on the pitch I am conscious of my role -- I am representing millions of Egyptians.

"We know the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities, towns and villages will be empty when we play in the Ivory Coast.

"People will either be at home or in cafes, cheering our every move, willing us to score and wishing us success."

Salah, who arrived at Liverpool in 2017 after spells with Al Mokawloon in his homeland, Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma, is no stranger to success.

He helped Liverpool win the Club World Cup and UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League one year later.

In his last match for the Reds before flying to Egypt, the 31-year-old whose full name is Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly netted twice in a 4-2 league win over Newcastle United.

Ghana boast the third most successful Cup of Nations record with four titles, behind Egypt (seven) and Cameroon (five), but it is 42 years since they last triumphed.

Otto Addo, who quit as Black Stars coach after an early 2022 World Cup exit in Qatar, turned heads when he said the fixture against Egypt will be the easiest in the group for his country.

"Egypt are going to be overwhelming favourites to beat Ghana so all the pressure will be on them. The Black Stars will be motivated by the fact that no one gives them a chance.

"I believe it is easier to face Mohamed Salah and the other Egyptian stars than trying to break down the well-organised defences of Cape Verde and Mozambique."

Ghana are pinning their hopes of a good run on Mohammed Kudus, an attacking midfielder who has been outstanding for West Ham United this season.

They can also call on the long-serving Ayew brothers - attackers Andre and Jordan -- as they attempt to banish memories of a disastrous 2022 campaign that ended in first-round elimination.

Source : France 24
 
Mohamed Salah says he is convinced he will win the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with Egypt "sooner or later".

Liverpool forward Salah is set to miss his country's next two games with a muscle injury he sustained during their 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday.

The Pharaohs must beat Cape Verde in their final group game on Monday to be sure of qualification from their group.

"I would love to win it, absolutely," the 31-year-old said. "It will happen somehow - that is what I believe,"

"Whatever I believe, I achieve - so sooner or later, it will happen."

Salah has won every major English trophy as part of a glittering career since joining the Reds before the 2017-18 season, as well as the 2018-19 Champions League, when he scored the opening goal in their 2-0 win over Tottenham in the final.

The forward has experienced heartache at the three editions of Afcon he has been involved in, though, starting with a defeat to Cameroon in Gabon in the 2017 final, when Salah set up Egypt's early opener before their opponents won courtesy of two second-half goals.

A late South Africa winner condemned Egypt to a round of 16 exit on home soil in 2019, and Salah did not have the chance to take his spot kick as hosts Cameroon prevailed on penalties in the final of the 2021 tournament following a goalless draw

"I have won everything possible but this one not yet," said Salah, whose international debut in 2011 came a year after Egypt won the last of their record seven Afcon titles and preceded a run of three tournaments they failed to qualify for.

"Everybody knows what it means to any player to win an Africa Cup.

"We were unlucky at the last one and also in Gabon. The players are very motivated to win the tournament. We all want to win it."

Rui Vitoria's team needed Salah's added-time penalty to draw 2-2 with Mozambique in their opening match of Afcon 2023 in Ivory Coast.

They then came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Ghana after Salah went off with a back muscle strain shortly before half-time.

If they beat Cape Verde, who have already secured first place in Group B, Egypt will advance to a last-16 tie in San-Pedro on 28 January.

Salah has already been ruled out of that game and is only expected to return for a quarter-final on 2 or 3 February, should Egypt make it that far.

"My injury is still there but the most important thing now is to speak about the game," Salah said.

"We are not doing great at the moment but we have a fantastic team and a great coach, so we just need to stay focused.

"I believe that with hard work everything is possible, so we just need to win one game to qualify and we go from there.

"We are very positive. We have great players and a great team, and we just need to fight and see what will happen."

Source: BBC

www.bbc.com

Afcon 2023: Egypt's Mohamed Salah determined to add trophy to glittering club haul with Liverpool

Mohamed Salah says he will add an Africa Cup of Nations triumph with Egypt to his array of trophies with club side Liverpool.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Good move for Mo to return. LFC have amazing medical staff.

Its highly unlikely he will return. Egypt haven't yet qualified through the group stage.
 
Mo Salah's agent has tweeted stating that his injury is more serious than first thought and that he could be out for up to 28 days

Salah picked up an injury in Egypt's 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday and is expected to return to Liverpool for treatment
 
Mohamed Salah helped Egypt reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations when it was held in 2022
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has a "proper tear in his hamstring", says assistant manager Pep Lijnders.

Salah, 31, was replaced during Egypt's 2-2 draw with Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast on Thursday.

He watched from the stands as Egypt reached the last 16 thanks to a dramatic 2-2 draw with Cape Verde on Monday.

"It's expected [he will] return in three to four weeks if everything goes smooth," said Lijnders.

"It will go smooth and it will go right because of how we've treated his body before."

Liverpool said Salah will return to the club on Wednesday for an "intensive rehabilitation programme".

They said his injury was "worse than first feared", but he will be treated with a "view to being back in action as soon as possible for club and country, giving him the best chance to return to compete at Afcon".

On Sunday Egypt play the runners-up in Group F for a place in the quarter-finals. The final takes place on 8 February.

On Sunday Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said it "makes sense" for Salah to do his rehabilitation at the club and rejoin Egypt if he recovers in time and they remain in the competition.

"I always said before what I'm really happy about is the medical team of Egypt and the medical team of Liverpool really worked together and were in close contact and both made this decision," said Lijnders.

"It's an example of how international football and club football should operate to put the player in the centre."

Egypt's record appearance-maker Ahmed Hassan has said Salah should stay with the team "even if he only had one leg to stand on".

"The one you should never doubt the commitment of is Mo Salah," said Lijnders.

"I know the country is devastated to lose him. He is massive. The only reason ours and their medical team decided for him to come back is to give the best chance to make the final if Egypt reach it."

The most recent of Egypt's seven Africa Cup of Nations titles came in 2010, a year before Salah made his debut. Egypt were runners-up in 2017 and 2021.

Salah scored a late penalty to help Egypt draw 2-2 with Mozambique in their opening game.

He said this week that Egypt will win the Africa Cup of Nations "sooner or later".

"I would love to win it," he said. "It will happen somehow - that is what I believe. Whatever I believe, I achieve.

"I have won everything possible but this one, not yet. Everybody knows what it means to any player to win an Africa Cup."

Source: BBC Sports
 
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Salah’s absence due to injury until at least the Afcon final, should his country make it that far, has led to scathing criticism from Egypt legend Ahmed Hasan.

The 48-year-old, who played for his country 184 times, has taken exception to Salah returning to Merseyside for treatment on his hamstring, which could take 28 days to heal.

“I’ve always backed Salah and I was very happy with his presence as captain of the Egyptian national team,” said Hassan, who helped Egypt win four Afcon titles between 1998 and 2010. “I had no problems with what he said, but it turned out that he was plotting his departure from the Egypt camp.

“Do the Afcon regulations allow a player to leave the national team’s camp and come back again? He had the possibility of bringing in someone from Liverpool’s medical staff to be with him during the competition. Again, he is the captain. He should stay with the team no matter what, even if he only had one leg to stand on.

“He even said himself that it’s the Egyptian national team, not Salah’s national team, and this is true. We have confidence in all the players who are there and they must fight for the title.”
 
Mohamed Salah has recovered from a hamstring injury and returned to training ahead of Liverpool’s UEL Last 16, 1st Leg clash with Sparta Praha
 
Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah has been linked with a move away from the club at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old will enter the final contract at the end of the season, and he could be sold if he refuses to sign an extension with the club.

A report from Football Insider claims that the bidding for the Egyptian international will start at £100 million and could go up to £150 million.

Apparently, Saudi Arabian clubs are keen on signing the Egyptian international and money is not a problem for them. They were keen on securing his services at the start of the season as well.

It will be interesting to see if Liverpool can recoup a substantial amount of money for the Egyptian and rebuild their squad during the summer transfer window.

Source: Caught off side
 
Mo Salah gives hint over his Liverpool future amid Saudi links as he promises to 'fight like hell' to win more trophies at the club

Mohamed Salah has dropped his biggest hint yet that he could stay at Liverpool for another season after posting an update about the club's ambitions to win trophies.

The Egyptian is amongst the names to follow departed manager Jurgen Klopp out the door following the culmination of the Premier League season.

Liverpool have confirmed Feyenoord chief Arne Slot will replace Klopp in the dugout and one urgent issue requires the Dutchman to address the future of several key players.

Salah has one year remaining on his existing £350,000-per-week deal that expires in June 2025 and Liverpool must decide whether to sell their star player or risk losing him for free next year.

Saudi Arabian teams were previously unsuccessful in their attempts to bring Salah to the Middle East last summer despite offering over £200m for the Premier League legend's services.


www.dailymail.co.uk

Mo Salah gives hint over his Liverpool future amid Saudi links

Mohamed Salah has dropped his biggest hint yet about his future plans to stay at Liverpool following the end of the season after posting an emotional update on his X account.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
I've a year left on my contract, let's enjoy it – Salah

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah says he is only focused on enjoying the last year of his contract before making a decision on his future.

Salah, 32, is yet to sign a new deal at the Reds, with his contract set to expire this summer.

Liverpool rejected a £150m offer from Al-Ittihad for Salah last September.

"Before the season, I was just like 'I've got one year left, let's just enjoy it and don't think about the contract'," Salah told Sky Sports, external.

"I don't want to think about next year or the future, I just want to enjoy the last year [of my contract] and let's see.

"The most important thing is to take one day at a time and just be grateful to be here."

The Egypt captain joined the Reds for £34m from Roma in 2017 and has gone on to score 213 goals in 351 appearances, ranking fifth in Liverpool's all-time record goalscorers.

In July 2022, Salah signed a new three-year deal, making him reportedly the highest paid player in the club's history, on more than £350,000 a week.

He has adapted quickly to life under new Liverpool boss Arne Slot, scoring in the Dutchman's first two Premier League games in charge after only playing under former boss Jurgen Klopp during his career at Anfield.

Salah won every major trophy under Klopp other than the Europa League.

BBC
 

Mo Salah to MISS Egypt game due to 'injury risk' fears​


Mo Salah is enjoying a fine start to the season even if he is not getting all the credit he deserves.

Seven goals and five assists in Liverpool’s opening ten games in all competitions really is ridiculous when you think about it, but at this point it is expected of the Egyptian.

The main story following him around is his contract expiring at the end of the season, and there is still no real word about him extending it at the club.

A lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia is the main reported other outlet and Reds fear that will be where Salah plies his trade from here on out.

The Egyptian is still the talisman for his national team too. As Egypt gear up for an away game with Mauritania, however, they may have to play without Salah.

Ismael Mahmoud is reporting that, due to the state of Mauritania’s pitch, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan would be willing to let Salah return to Liverpool early to avoid any risk of injury on the patchwork grass.

Egypt were set to travel west for a game on Tuesday. Last night they saw the same Mauritania team off 2-0.

Naturally, Salah scored the second as Egypt eased towards the three points necessary for Africa Cup of Nations qualification.

Also seen was Eintracht Frankfurt man - and serious Liverpool target - Omar Marmoush. Marmoush didn’t get his name on the scoresheet but got in another 90 minutes with Salah.

Reports are flying around that Liverpool are eyeing Marmoush both as a long-term attacking option and as an attempt to convince Salah to stay with the club.

The attacker scored twice, including a last-minute equaliser, in Frankfurt’s 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich last weekend.

Egypt sit top of their group and have a chance to qualify directly for the Africa Cup of Nations with a win over Mauritania on Tuesday.

sports.yahoo.com

Mo Salah to MISS Egypt game due to 'injury risk' fears

Mo Salah is enjoying a fine start to the season even if he is not getting all the credit he deserves. Seven goals and five assists in Liverpool’s opening ten games in all competitions really is rid...
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com
 
Even Salah would struggle at Spurs – Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou says even in-form Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah would find life a struggle at the moment in the Tottenham team he manages.

Spurs are set to face the Reds in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday (20:00 GMT), during a difficult run of form.

Tottenham have lost three and drawn one of their past four matches, including a 6-3 Premier League defeat by Liverpool on 22 December.

Egypt international Salah scored twice in that game and has netted 21 goals from 27 appearances in all competitions during a particularly eye-catching campaign.

However, under-pressure Postecoglou believes even having an "unbelievable player" in Salah at his disposal would have done little to improve their fortunes.

"Mo is a world-class player, but if you put him in our team now I'm not sure he'll have that same level of performance because of the situation we're in as a group," said the Spurs boss.

"His attacking play, who do you need? You need a team that's kind of in good form, creating opportunities, playing on the front foot, having a really solid foundation of a defence that is cohesive. None of these things exist at the moment."

Spurs head into the match against Arne Slot's side with the news that captain Son Heung-min will stay at the club until at least the summer of 2026 after activating an option to extend his contract.

Son has scored 169 times in 431 Spurs appearances, including seven goals in all competitions this season.

Postecoglou felt the South Korean's form does not reflect his true ability when compared with fellow 32-year-old Salah.

"You've always got to give context. He [Salah] is playing in a fantastic team that are flying at the moment," he explained.

"I'd hazard to say that if you put Son Heung-min in Liverpool's team, I reckon his goalscoring return would be decent. It's hard for our players at the moment, they're trying awfully hard to be the best they can be.

"But when we're at our best, I still think you'll see Sonny's return, in terms of his ability to score goals and be really effective for us. I don't think that's diminished at all."

BBC
 
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah are among the six nominees for the Professional Footballers' Association's Players' Player of the Year award.

Premier League champions Liverpool have two players among the nominees, with Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister joining Egypt's Salah, who has already won the Premier League Player of the Season award, on the list.

Salah, who scored 29 times and provided 18 assists last season, is aiming to win the award for a record-breaking third time.


BBC
 
Mamoon said:
Just another hypocrite who has no problem earning millions of £ in a country that is in bed with the Zionists and his direct employers (Liverpool) have signed Israeli players in the past.
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At least he had the courage to stand up for another footballer. Unlike the Arsenal players who work for a proper Zionist club. Clowns always see things in a negative light
 
KingKhanWC said:
At least he had the courage to stand up for another footballer. Unlike the Arsenal players who work for a proper Zionist club. Clowns always see things in a negative light
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He is not standing for anything. He is a hypocrite. He is just fishing for cheap likes on social media.
 
Mamoon said:
He is not standing for anything. He is a hypocrite. He is just fishing for cheap likes on social media.
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He has more followers online than most of the Arsenal squad together.

You're the hypocrite as you failed to call this out. Worry about your own zionist influenced club, Salah wont get the sack like this person did.

www.theguardian.com

Former kit manager sues Arsenal after being sacked for anti-Israel comments

Mark Bonnick says he has ‘philosophical anti-Zionist belief’ after the club told him he showed ‘complete lack of judgment’ in posts on X
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
Mo Salah has checked in for Liverpool after Joe Gomez came off with an injury
 
'It wasn't meant to end like this' - Salah exit tough but inevitable

And so the long goodbye begins for the 'Egyptian King' - undoubtedly, one of the greatest footballers the Premier League has ever seen.

Mohamed Salah has worn the Liverpool shirt 435 times across all competitions. At most, he will get the opportunity up to 15 more times between now and the end of the season.

Yet, regardless of whether Liverpool win silverware this season - with Arne Slot's side still in with a chance of the Champions League and FA Cup - the 33-year-old will leave having won the lot with Liverpool since joining from AS Roma in 2017.

The individual accolades are worth noting too, from a record four Premier League Golden Boots to winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year on three occasions. Since he signed for Liverpool, no-one has more Premier League goals (189) or assists (92).

When his Liverpool team-mate Milos Kerkez recently posted a picture of Salah's trophy cabinet on Instagram, the running joke on social media was Salah collects player of the match awards like you would get them out of a vending machine.

The sight of Salah scoring - then kneeling down and bowing his head to the floor in an act of prostration that Muslims call Sujood - will never be forgotten.

For Liverpool alone he has scored 255 times, with only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt scoring more times for the club in its illustrious history.

But it wasn't meant to end like this - with Salah essentially agreeing to cut short his contract and Liverpool letting him leave on a free this summer.

Less than a year ago, Salah was sitting on a throne inside Anfield after renewing his contract and signing a deal until the summer of 2027.

His previous deal was set to expire in the 2025 but, given his numbers last season, where he topped the goalscoring and assist charts in the Premier League, the Liverpool hierarchy had no choice but to offer him a new deal.

Yet by December, Salah was benched - then left out of the squad entirely - after his explosive mixed zone interview at Leeds, where he claimed that his relationship with Slot had broken down and that someone at the club wanted him out.

Those close to Salah say he was always going to speak at Elland Road, regardless of the result, and that his initial discontent had started when he was benched for a Champions League game away at Eintracht Frankfurt in October, a match Liverpool won 5-1.

Slot admitted it was a difficult decision but it didn't sit right with Salah, who believed he should be starting every Premier League and Champions League game, given what he had done for the club.

Put simply, that was the first seed that Salah would no longer be a guaranteed starter and, given Liverpool's summer outlay of £450m including Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, the direction of their attacking strategy was clear. Salah knew he would no longer be the main man.

In the weeks leading up to that explosive interview, he was left upset after meetings with the Liverpool hierarchy, including sporting director Richard Hughes, where it was outlined that he could be benched.

His punishment for the interview was being left behind for the trip to Inter Milan but, three days later, Salah came off the bench against Brighton and got an assist - with Slot saying post-match there was "no issue to resolve".

From there, the Egyptian travelled to the Africa Cup of Nations while the club held talks with his agent Ramy Abbas and, when Salah returned to England in January, those close to the situation felt a verbal agreement was in place for both player and club to part ways this summer.

Last month, BBC Sport reported that a summer departure was increasingly likely.

The news comes as no surprise, given the way events have unfolded this season, but the timing is interesting - with Salah saying on his social channels that this is the "first part of my farewell".

He asked the club to make the announcement as early as possible, out of respect for the supporters and the fact he gets to go on his own terms is the least Salah deserves.

His agent Ramy Abbas said: "We do not know where Mohamed will play next season. This also means that no-one else knows."

At the very least, Salah will want to leave on a memorable note and the decision to part ways will have been immensely tough - even if it was somewhat inevitable -given he and his family, including his wife and two daughters, are settled in the north west and admire the British way of life.

"I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life," Salah said on Tuesday.

But there is little doubt that despite the circumstances of his exit, he will get the fondest of departures - with the Anfield faithful getting to serenade their main man on at least a few more occasions.

A scroll through the comments on his social media post confirming his departure is enough to highlight how highly he is rated and respected, among his peers and his supporters. Between now and his departure, more tributes will certainly follow.

He will go down categorically as one of the finest footballers to wear the Liverpool shirt.

Go back to June 2017 and Salah's first interview with the club as a 25-year-old.

"I will give 100% and give everything for the club. I am happy to be here and I really want to win something for this club," he said.

Mohamed Salah has done that and so much more.

BBC
 
Study Shows Salah's Liverpool Arrival Cut Hate Crimes and Anti-Muslim Posts

A peer-reviewed paper in the American Political Science Review found hate crimes in the Liverpool area dropped 16% compared to similar UK regions after Salah joined in June 2017, while anti-Muslim tweets among fans halved from 7.3% to 3.8%. Researchers credit his success and visible Muslim practices, like sujood prayers after goals, for creating 'parasocial contact' that softened prejudices. Over nine years, Salah scored 255 goals in 435 appearances, winning two Premier League titles and a Champions League, as he prepares to leave Anfield at the end of the 2025-26 season.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036752502041854101
 

Saudi Pro League, the US or Europe - what are Salah's options?​


Here, BBC Sport assesses the 33-year-old's options, looking at who could realistically afford him and which countries have shown interest in the past.

'It wasn't meant to end like this' - Salah exit tough but inevitable

Destination Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly the first place to consider as his most likely destination.

There is the obvious link with Salah widely seen as a poster boy for both the Middle East and Arab world and such a connection will be massive.

In Saudi's eyes, Salah is a huge asset as the number one Muslim footballer in the world and, in that sense, it is a no-brainer.

In 2023, Al-Ittihad made a £150m bid that was turned down by Liverpool.

This was in Jurgen Klopp's final season before Arne Slot took over and guided the Reds to the Premier League title, fuelled by Salah's incredible season of goals and assists.

So what might the options be in the Saudi Pro League (SPL)?

The 'big four' of Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr, who are owned by the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF), know the impact Salah could have on the league as a global product.

Away from these clubs, Al-Qadsiah, who are managed by former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, are backed by Aramco, Saudi's oil company, and may well be interested.

With Salah now able to move for a free, that interest will certainly not dwindle and at 33, the SPL will be licking its lips at the prospect of having Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo at the same. But can the league afford him?

"Without a doubt," says football finance expert Kieran Maguire. "They're paying Cristiano Ronaldo £170m a year. Salah's currently on £20m a year so finances won't be an issue.

"The key thing is whether Salah thinks it's the right decision and, of course, you have to take into account the current situation with the conflict in the Middle East.

"Things might have calmed down by the summer but that will be a factor at play too."

Source: BBC Sports
 
'Mohamed Salah gave us hope in divisive times'

"I don't want to overstate Mohamed Salah's influence but he gives hope at this time, which feels politically divisive," says Dr Leon Moosavi, a sociology lecturer at the University of Liverpool.

The Egyptian striker's recent announcement that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season sparked an array of reactions - from young fans in tears to pragmatic shrugs as the 33-year-old faces the winter of his career at the club.

As one of the world's best-known footballers and a prominent Arab, Salah's impact has "transcended" boundaries, Dr Moosavi – who supports Manchester City - says.

The player rose to global fame after moving to Liverpool in 2017 and following his goals and celebrations that featured a prostration in prayer on the pitch.

Salah is not the first Muslim to play in the Premier League but Dr Moosavi says that - alongside his scoring success - he stood out for a "combination of three factors".

"The first was his name Mohamed, the second was the prostration and third was that his wife wears the hijab [Islamic headscarf]."

The numbers of Muslim fans attending Anfield matches rose as perceptions shifted, with locals saying Salah's impact made community relations "easier".

About 8,000 residents in Liverpool are of Arab origin and Muslims make up about 5% of the city's population, according to the 2021 census.

Ibrahim Syed, a Reds fan who is a co-ordinator at the Liverpool Region Mosque Network, says Salah "normalised" religious expression.

"There's a lot of suspicion and negativity about Muslims and the Islamic faith. There's also a public debate at the moment about whether Islam fits within British society.

"So in terms of community cohesion, he's presented a different narrative. He's somebody who presents positivity and people aren't suspicious of him because he's Mo."

Dr Moosavi, who is writing a book on Muslim football fans in England, has also been researching Salah's social media presence – including reactions to his annual posts in front of a Christmas tree and of a visit to a Buddhist temple during a club tour of Japan in 2025.

"For some conservative Muslims, they feel this isn't appropriate for someone who they believe should be representing the Islamic faith.

"Not all Muslims agree – many are OK with it or think it's cute."

While Salah has previously posted about Gaza and contributed donations, the player has also drawn criticism in some quarters for not using his international profile to offer more support.

Dr Moosavi believes many have been "pinning unrealistic expectations and hopes on him" given he is a footballer.

But the reaction has been due to "many Muslims feeling the world has been unkind to them and not understanding them or their faith", he adds.

"He shows that we're all human, with passions like football and other hobbies, bringing up our families and trying to better ourselves.

"He's not meant to be a global ambassador for peace but he has been a bridge-builder."

BBC
 
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