It wouldn’t come as a surprise to Liverpool fans if Mohamed Salah finally made the move to Saudi Arabia this summer, although Darwin Nunez has given him plenty to think about
James Findlater Content Editor
04:00, 22 Feb 2026
Mohamed Salah could follow Darwin Nunez to Saudi Arabia this summer(Image: Getty Images)
There isn’t any escaping the fact that we are likely seeing the end of Mohamed Salah’s time at Liverpool.
Whether it’s this summer, or he sees out the remainder of his contract, it does feel like another extension won’t be coming his way. Although there are signs that he might be rediscovering a bit of form at the moment, his waning goal contributions and THAT outburst in December point to a parting of the ways being in the best interests for both parties soon.
Certainly, it would come as a surprise to no one if a move to Saudi Arabia finally happened this year.
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The Pro League has been in Salah’s ear for years now. Although a gargantuan £150 million (around $202M in today’s money) bid failed in 2023, that was a clear signal of intent.
Salah would be an unbelievable coup for Saudi Arabia. The world’s biggest Muslim player would make a monumental impact on a predominantly Islamic country, arguably even bigger than Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival three years ago.
But should the Egyptian really look upon a move to the Pro League as his best option after Liverpool? There’s been enough evidence over the past week or so to suggest maybe not.
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Salah’s former teammate Darwin Nunez finds himself almost in soccer purgatory. Having been deregistered by his club Al-Hilal after the signing of Karim Benzema, he can no longer play any league games, but nor can he secure a move elsewhere until the summer.
The Saudi league’s rules only permit clubs to register eight foreign players born before 2003. As such, Nunez has become a victim of his side’s ambitions to win the title, with Benzema seen as the man who will fire them toward it.
Nunez can still play in the AFC Champions League, but even if Al-Hilal makes it all the way to the final, that’s still just five games between now and the end of the season – all in a year in which he will be expected to play a starring role for Uruguay at the World Cup.
Darwin Nunez has been omitted from Al Hilal’s squad(Image: Getty Images)
It is a brutal way to treat a player, and it’s something that Salah is going to have to consider when the time comes to decide on his future. The 33-year-old will have to fall under that rule on foreign players if he moves to the Middle East, which could make him just as vulnerable as Nunez in an ever-growing league.
There are suggestions that an increase on the number of foreign players allowed will be raised to 10 for next season, although that is yet to be confirmed. In any case, that would only make Salah’s position a little more secure.
No doubt he would expect to take to the Pro League like a duck to water, having been one of the best Premier League players for the past eight-and-a-half years. But that’s no guarantee of success – just ask Roberto Firmino.
Cristiano Ronaldo has recently gone on strike in the Saudi Pro League(Image: Yasser Bakhsh, Getty Images)
If Salah doesn’t hit the ground running, who’s to say he won’t be cast off just as easily as Nunez? He might not like having to sit on the bench at Liverpool, but at least he was given a chance to earn his place back in the Reds’ side.
And would Salah want to join a league where the best player feels the need to go on strike? Whatever Ronaldo’s reasons are, it doesn’t bode too well for the Egyptian’s own high standards.
Maybe his time at Liverpool is drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean a Saudi move has to be the next step. Other options, like a return to Italy, have been touted, and perhaps it would be in Salah’s best interests to think carefully about his next move, if indeed he is to move on from Anfield soon.