Former Premier League manager Slaven Bilic has claimed that Mohamed Salah, who was reportedly unhappy at Liverpool, was prepared to join Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad before Jurgen Klopp announced his departure.
On the final day of the 2023 summer transfer window, Al Ittihad made a £100 million bid, plus significant add-ons, for Salah. However, Liverpool and Klopp were firm in their stance that he was not for sale, while Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, reaffirmed the player’s commitment to the club.
“If we had considered leaving Liverpool this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer,” Issa stated on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing Salah’s loyalty to the Premier League side.
CBS Sports reported that Al Ittihad was willing to offer Salah a salary on par with global superstars like Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bilic, who briefly managed Al Ittihad, has now spoken about the club’s strong interest in Salah and the forward’s reported discontent under Klopp.
Speaking on The LineUp, presented by BetMGM, Bilic said, “There has definitely been a change this season under Arne Slot. I was in Saudi Arabia last year, and I know Salah wasn’t happy under Klopp. We fully expected him to move.
“The entire Saudi football scene was prepared for him—he would have been the league’s biggest star. As far as we were concerned, it was a done deal that Salah would join Al Ittihad.”
However, Bilic admitted he wasn’t surprised that the move didn’t materialize, suggesting Salah knows the opportunity in Saudi Arabia remains open whenever he decides to leave Liverpool.
Salah’s future at Anfield remains uncertain in 2025. In January, the Premier League’s top scorer admitted that talks over a new contract were “far from any progress.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has made it clear that he hopes to keep Salah beyond this season.
“Everybody wants him, including us,” Slot said. “We want him to extend his contract—there’s no doubt about that. I’m not surprised Saudi clubs are interested, but I wouldn’t be surprised if other leagues were as well.
“He’s experienced and intelligent, and he’s made many wise career decisions. I trust he will make the right choice for himself and, hopefully, for us too.”