Why is Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool, and which club will he join next?

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has announced his exit from the Premier League club at the end of the season, but questions surrounding his next destination and the reasons behind his departure remain unanswered.

The 33-year-old Egyptian star confirmed the news on Tuesday in a video message on social media, calling it the “first part” of his farewell.

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Salah will depart on a free transfer despite having 12 months remaining on his contract.

Here’s what we know about Salah’s departure:

Why is Salah leaving Liverpool?

While he hasn’t spelled out a reason for his departure, Salah said earlier in the season that his relationship with Liverpool manager Arne Slot was nonexistent.

The fan favourite accused the club of making him a scapegoat for the English champions’ poor start to the Premier League season and claimed he was “thrown under the bus” after Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds in December.

“I don’t know why, but it seems to me that someone doesn’t want me in the club,” Salah had said at Elland Road.

While the news may have come as a shock to his fans, British media have been speculating about a summer transfer for Salah for some time.

Where will Salah go next?

Despite ongoing speculation about his future and his links to a number of clubs around the world, it’s unclear where Salah could go next.

“We do not know where Mohamed will play next season. This also means that no one else knows,” Ramy Abbas Issa, Salah’s agent, said in a post on X

Salah has been linked with the Saudi Pro League for a couple of years with Riyadh-based club Al-Ittihad leading the headlines for a reported move for the Arab football star, but their rivals Al-Hilal are also in the mix now.

A move to the FIFA World Cup 2034 hosts could make Salah the leading figure for their long-term plans. Italian sportswriter Fabrizio Romano suggested that the Saudi clubs’ intention “is to have Salah as a symbol of their project now and as a face of what they’re going to do in future projects”.

Another possible destination for Salah could be Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, where Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez play for Inter Miami and Antoine Griezmann signed with Orlando City this week.

Reports in British media said a move to the MLS is currently seen as “the most attractive choice”.

What have Liverpool and Salah said about his exit?

Liverpool said they respected Salah’s wish to announce his departure to his supporters at the earliest “due to his respect and gratitude for them”.

The club was quick to celebrate “the Egyptian King’s” achievements, memorable moments and remarkable statistics with multiple posts on social media.

“With plenty still left to play for this season, Salah is firmly focused on trying to achieve the best possible finish to the campaign for Liverpool and, therefore, the time to fully celebrate his legacy and achievements will follow later in the year when he bids farewell to Anfield,” Liverpool said in a statement.

How have Salah’s teammates reacted to the news of his departure?

Former teammate Andy Robertson, who joined Liverpool in the same transfer window as Salah in the 2017-2018 season wrote an emotional tribute, saying: “Watching you become the best at what you do and become of the best to ever have worn the Liverpool shirt has been a joy to watch and be part of.”

Current Liverpool players, including Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones, commented on Salah’s Instagram post with emojis and called him a “king” and a “legend”.

Slot posted a picture of him and Salah on Instagram with the caption: “We had a good run.”

What are experts saying?

Football columnist Jamie Carragher said Salah is among the greatest players to have ever donned a Liverpool jersey. “In an all-time Premier League XI, Salah is an automatic inclusion in the front three alongside [Thierry] Henry and [Cristiano] Ronaldo.”

How many trophies and awards has Salah won at Liverpool?

Salah will exit Liverpool as one of the most decorated players in the Premier League’s history.

Over his nine years at Liverpool, which he joined in June 2017 from AS Roma, he has scored 255 goals in 435 appearances to become the third highest goal scorer for the Reds.

The forward’s 281 goal contributions (189 goals and 92 assists) are the most for any player at one club in the league’s history.

Salah is a three-time PFA Player of the Year winner (2018, 2022 and 2025) and was awarded the FIFA Puksas Award in 2018 for his brilliant strike in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in December 2017.

The Kop-side favourite was awarded the Premier League Golden Boot a record-equalling four times in the 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2021-2022 and 2024-2025 seasons.

Salah’s eight major Anfield titles are: two Premier League titles (2019-2020 and 2024-2025), one Champions League title (2018-2019), one FA Cup title (2021-2022), two League Cup titles (2021-2022 and 2023-2024), the FIFA Club World Cup (2019) and a UEFA Super Cup (2019-2020).