Is Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool? January transfer latest as Egypt star returns at Anfield vs. Brighton

1 week agoLast Updated: 16 February، 2026

Mohamed Salah is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s modern era, and a true Premier League hall-of-famer.

And yet, he and the Reds could be about to go through a particularly bitter divorce.

Salah’s explosive interview after Liverpool drew with Leeds United in December 2025, in which he accused the club and head coach Arne Slot of making him a scapegoat for the team’s poor form, has made a departure from Anfield feel almost inevitable. He even suggested he will use the game with Brighton & Hove Albion as an opportunity to say goodbye to the fans before he joins up with the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Still, Salah only signed a new contract in April this year, and the future of Slot also appears uncertain, so there is no absolute guarantee he will be moved on.

The Sporting News looks at the latest.

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Is Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool?

Following his remarkable interview on December 6, it certainly seems possible that Salah will leave Liverpool in the January transfer window.

The player suggested that the Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on December 13 could be his last and that he had told his family to come to see his “goodbye” to the fans. He was named on the bench for the fixture.

There is no guarantee he will leave, of course. Last year, Salah told the media that he was “more out than in” at Liverpool amid protracted negotiations over a new contract, which eventually ended with him signing a new deal.

Things feel a bit different this time, though.

Salah was omitted from the squad for Liverpool’s 1-0 win at Inter Milan in the Champions League on December 9. “We let him know that he’s not travelling with us, so that was the only communication that there has been from us to him,” Slot said at his pre-match press conference.

“Of course, before Saturday, the two of us have spoken a lot. Sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. That’s not the way I feel [that relationship has broken down], but he has the right to feel how he feels things. I haven’t felt that at all — until Saturday evening, for sure.

“When I didn’t play him, usually players don’t like the manager that much, but he was very respectful to my staff, to his teammates and he trained really hard. So, to an extent, it was a surprise to me when I heard after the game that he gave the comments that he gave.

“As I said, it’s not the first time and won’t be the last time that when a player doesn’t play, that he says something similar to what he did. My reaction to that is also clear. He isn’t here tonight.”

Slot was also asked whether Salah had played his last game for Liverpool. He replied: “I have no clue. I cannot answer that question at this moment in time.”

On December 12, as per The Times and several other outlets, it was reported Salah would be part of the Liverpool squad to face Brighton in the Premier League on December 13 following face-to-face talks with Slot. The forward was duly named on the bench.

Salah came off the bench in the first half for the injured Joe Gomez and was greeted with a very positive reception by the Anfield crowd.

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Mohamed Salah January transfer latest

It had been speculated prior to Salah’s outburst that a January transfer was possible. The i Paper’s Peter Hall had previously reported that clubs in Saudi Arabia were considering making an offer in the January window.

Now, it seems highly likely that the wealthy Pro League will try to sign Salah early in 2026. The Times reported prior to the Brighton game that there are still issues to iron and talks will take place between Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas and the Liverpool hierarchy when the player is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

Omar Mugharbel, the chief executive of the Saudi Pro League, was quoted as saying by BBC Sport on December 10: “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure Salah is one of them [a target].”

The Pro League — whose top teams are bankrolled by the wealthy Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) — has long been rumoured to be eager to bring Salah to the country. Liverpool were reported to have rejected a bid of £150 million ($190m per exchange rates at the time) in September 2023, and they would certainly have made another approach during the summer of 2025 had Salah not signed a new contract.

If a deal could be struck with Liverpool, the player would almost certainly go to one of the four biggest (and best-funded) clubs in the league: Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, or Al Nassr.

It seems unlikely that Al Nassr would sign Salah given they already have Cristiano Ronaldo, but it cannot be ruled out. However, it has been suggested that Al Hilal would be Salah’s most likely destination. Liverpool sold Darwin Nunez to the Riyadh-based club in August 2025 for around £46m ($61m).

What did Mohamed Salah say? Interview after Leeds draw

The speculation around Salah’s future went into overdrive after his extraordinary comments following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds United on December 6.

The forward, who had been benched for the third league game running, told the media that “it seems like the club has thrown me under the bus” and that he was being scapegoated for the Reds’ poor performances.

Salah also accused the club of breaking promises made when he agreed a new contract, said “it seems to me that someone doesn’t want me in the club” and claimed his relationship with Slot had broken.

You can read the incredible full interview here.

Mohamed Salah contract, salary

Salah signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April 2025. The deal expires at the end of the 2026/27 season.

According to Capology, Salah’s wages are approximately £500,000 ($655,000) per week before tax, putting his salary at £26m ($34m) per year.

According to estimates, he could earn up to seven times that amount should he move to Saudi Arabia.

After signing the deal, he said: “It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.

“I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.”

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