Mohamed Salah's Saudi future has become less straightforward. Al-Ahli want him as the replacement for R. Mahrez, but Michael Emenalo, the Saudi Pro League figure who publicly talked up the move, has now left his role after three years. Emenalo said in October 2024 that there was genuine interest in signing Salah, but the path to any deal now looks less direct.

Emenalo's exit changes the picture

Emenalo's comments were never a guarantee of a transfer, and he was careful about that at the time. Speaking to liverpoolecho.co.uk, he said: "I think it depends on Mo. The stories that our teams went after him were true, it is true that there was an interest. But just like Victor Osimhen, it's okay for me to have an interest in signing Mo, but the club have to have an interest in letting him go, and if those things don't align, you don't have a deal."

He was even clearer about Salah's stance: "The most important part is if the player is ready to come. I didn't feel the player was ready to come because he felt like he had unfinished business." That is the part that still matters most. Liverpool are not being pushed into anything here, and the public champion of the move is no longer in the job.

Salah is not short of game sharpness while the talk goes on. He has made 3 appearances at the 2026 World Cup and played 218 minutes, with 2 goal contributions in the tournament. That is a useful reminder that any Saudi side would be chasing an active player, not a fading one.

The interest itself has not gone away. But the person who was most willing to say it out loud has.

Al-Ahli still have a job to do

Goal reported that Al-Ahli have asked for detailed information on the financial and sporting requirements for a Salah deal, with no official agreement in place. That is still the stage this sits at. This is interest, not a finished move.

The club's logic is obvious enough. Mahrez's contract was terminated early, and Salah is being positioned as the obvious high-end replacement. But a vacancy at the top of the squad does not make the transfer itself simple, especially when the old internal advocate has gone and the player has not signalled that he is ready to leave.

For now, the Saudi chase is still alive. It is just missing the man who once sounded most certain about pulling it through.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →