Mohamed Salah thinking the same as Kevin de Bruyne as Saudi clubs eye big transfers

Liverpool will be involved in transfer activity this summer, that much is a given. With new coach Arne Slot arriving and also new sporting director Richard Hughes, the two will likely want to make several signings in order to hit the ground running at Anfield.

Yet much will also depend on who leaves Merseyside this summer. Last year there was several big exits from the club, with Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keïta all leaving. The same could also happen this summer.

Luis Díaz is being linked to Barcelona, while Mohamed Salah is continually linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League after a bid was rejected by Liverpool in the final days of the 2023 summer window.

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Speaking to Bet365, former Liverpool, Manchester United and Inter Milan midfielder Paul Ince believes Salah could very well leave Liverpool this time around.

“When the talk started to come out about Mohamed Salah going to Saudi at the back end of last season and how much they were prepared to pay him, I thought his form dropped," said Ince.

“He wasn't the Salah of old. I think you've got to understand, Salah has been absolutely immense for Liverpool. Absolutely immense, year after year after year, scoring so many goals.

“But in the last three or four months of the season he looked a bit tired, a little bit jaded. He didn't look himself and his touch wasn't there.

“It's a tricky one because he's so important to Liverpool Football Club and has been for so many years. But when Kevin De Bruyne talks about potentially going to Saudi, other players are thinking exactly the same thing.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Salah did go to Saudi, but I hope he stays because he's such a special player and because the manager wants him."

Despite Ince's opinion of Salah, Liverpool's number 11 still had a very productive season. He finished 2023/24 with 25 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions. However in the final third of the season his form did dip, scoring only three league goals in the final three months of the season.

Salah's contract with Liverpool expires next summer, and this transfer window will be the final one for Liverpool to make any kind of profit on Salah if it wanted to move the 32-year-old on.

Man City star De Bruyne recently made comments about potentially being 'open' to the idea of joining the Saudi Pro League in the near future, saying (via The Guardian): “At my age you have to be open to everything. You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career.

"Sometimes you have to think about that. If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet. Then you have to think about what that could mean next. But at the moment I haven’t had to think about that yet.”

Liverpool.com says: The time for Liverpool to move on from Salah is fast approaching. It wouldn't be a shock if the Saudi Pro League came calling a second time and Liverpool accepted, granted the time was sufficient to bring in a replacement. Moreover, the club has to decide whether it wants to let Salah leave as a free agent in a year from now or sell this summer to bring in money.