Is Salah the perfect successor to Ronaldo in the Saudi project?

Is Mohamed Salah heading to Saudi Arabia? Right now, the situation is far from clear.

Despite strong interest over the past few years, there is no concrete move in place. Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas, has confirmed that no club is lined up and that serious talks for a summer transfer have not even started yet. This has been reported by various news agencies.

Saudi clubs have been chasing Salah since 2023, when Al Ittihad made a huge offer worth £100 million plus £50 million in add ons. Liverpool rejected it immediately. At the time, Salah was seen as the perfect face of the Saudi Pro League project and was offered a salary close to Cristiano Ronaldo’s level.

While he may not match Ronaldo’s global commercial pull, Salah’s impact in the Middle East is unmatched. For this region, he is one of the biggest football icons and is widely regarded by many as the greatest Arab player of all time, making him a natural fit for the league’s ambitions.

And the idea of both of them playing together at Al Nassr? That would be box office. Ronaldo has made it clear he is not slowing down as he continues his push towards 1000 career goals, which likely means at least another season at the top level. Pairing him with Salah would not only be exciting on the pitch, but also a massive moment for the league in terms of both global and regional appeal.

Al Hilal also showed strong interest, especially before Salah signed a new two year deal with Liverpool in April 2025. Saudi officials had even expected to pay a transfer fee earlier and believed they could face competition from MLS clubs.

Now, things have changed slightly. If Salah becomes available without a transfer fee, it could attract European clubs that may not have considered a deal before. But even without a fee, signing him is still very expensive due to wages, signing bonuses, and agent fees.

Most Saudi clubs cannot afford such a deal on their own. They would need central support or private investment. While big names like Benzema have moved with backing from wealthy investors, only a few clubs have that kind of financial power. One exception is Al Qadsiah, backed by Aramco, who have the resources to make a move independently.

League officials are also cautious. They are unlikely to approve a deal unless it brings clear commercial value. Earlier plans to sign Salah were linked to boosting TV rights, especially in Egypt, but that opportunity has now passed.

As for Salah himself, he is believed to prefer leaving Liverpool on mutual terms and announcing his decision properly before exploring options. That is one key reason why nothing is advanced at this stage.

So, while Saudi interest remains strong, there is no deal yet and no immediate move on the table. An MLS move is also possible, but becoming the next face of the Saudi project would be really interesting.