Liverpool Ready to Sell Salah in Summer as Saudi Interest Resurfaces

Liverpool have performed a dramatic U-turn on Mohamed Salah's future, signalling they are prepared to sanction his departure when the summer window opens.

The Egyptian winger's season at Anfield has been underwhelming by his standards, delivering just six goals and seven assists across 26 appearances in all competitions. More significantly, the relationship between Salah and manager Arne Slot deteriorated sharply following Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds United in December, when the forward publicly criticised the club for using him as a scapegoat during their struggles and suggested he no longer had a working relationship with his manager.

The situation proved serious enough that Slot and the Liverpool board opted to exclude Salah from the squad for their Inter Milan fixture. However, peace was brokered, and he returned to action against Brighton, where he received a rousing ovation from the Kop following the final whistle. At that juncture, Liverpool made their position abundantly clear: Salah would not be sold, and reports suggested both manager and player had agreed to move past their differences until season's end.

That stance appears to have shifted considerably. Al-Ittihad have renewed their interest in securing the 32-year-old's services, with Salah's representatives now actively engaged in discussions about a potential Saudi Arabia switch. Unlike his previous reluctance towards such a move, Salah is said to be considerably more receptive to the proposition this time around.

Liverpool's willingness to entertain his exit stems partly from the contractual situation. Come summer, Salah will have merely twelve months remaining on his current deal, making this window an opportune moment for the club to recoup a transfer fee rather than risk losing him for nothing further down the line.

Transfer expert Pete O'Rourke believes the timing could suit all parties involved. "This story never goes away, it rears its head in every transfer window, pretty much," he explained. "We know that Mo Salah is a top target for the Saudi Pro League."

O'Rourke recalled Al-Ittihad's previous approach: "It was a couple of seasons ago when Al Ittihad made that big £150million offer, which was rejected by Liverpool."

He went on to assess the current landscape. "It's not been a great season for Mo Salah on and off the pitch. He obviously had that bust-up with Arne Slot, and then obviously his form's not been anywhere near as good as it was last season, which was going to be hard to replicate. He's back in favour right now, but I think his long-term future is definitely in doubt. He's in the final 18 months of his contract, come the summer he will just have a year left on this lucrative contract and maybe it could be the right time for a parting of the ways for everybody."