Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is no longer an ideal fit for the Saudi Pro League, and the kingdom’s clubs should instead pursue younger talent such as Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, Al-Kholood chairman Ben Harburg said Wednesday.
Salah’s future at Anfield has grown increasingly uncertain after he accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” in an interview following his benching by manager Arne Slot.
The 33-year-old was left out of the squad for this week’s Champions League trip to Inter Milan, further fueling speculation that a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia may be back on the table.
Saudi clubs have long courted the Egyptian forward.
Liverpool reportedly rejected a 150 million-pound ($200 million) bid for Salah in 2023, when he was among the top targets for the league’s flagship teams.
Salah previously said he had “serious” negotiations with Saudi Pro League officials before extending his contract at Liverpool, and Harburg – whose Al-Kholood side are 11th in the 18-team Pro League – said Saudi clubs should be wary of approaching the Egyptian again.
“There’s a narrative around him that they asked him to come before and he rejected us. These are not people that like to be spurned and are going to come back around the second time,” Harburg said at the World Football Summit in Riyadh.
“So I do think that there’s already, even among the public, much more apprehension around his coming into the league. He’s 33 years old, he got paid a boatload at Liverpool ... and has underperformed massively since then.”
Salah, the Premier League’s top scorer last season, has only five goals and three assists in all competitions this campaign, with champions Liverpool languishing in 10th place.
“I’m sure some people like his star power, he’s from the region, but my sentiment is that he is not a fit for our league. If it were between him and Vinicius, I’d take Vinicius,” Harburg said.
“I think Vinicius should come here and thrive.
“I actually think it might end up being a better environment for someone like him. But I’m hoping we go after those 25-year-old next-wave players rather than guys like Salah, who definitely – this would be the last stop of his career.”
