Saudi Pro League finances stall Mohamed Salah’s transfer hopes

Reports suggest Mohamed Salah is unlikely to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia in the January 2026 window because the Saudi Pro League’s central transfer budget for this season is already maxed out.

The league reportedly allocates about €2 billion per year for all clubs’ transfer fees, wages and agent commissions, but that pool has been exhausted, meaning any Salah deal would now have to be funded entirely by an individual club.

Given the massive fee and salary such a move would require, it is unclear whether any Saudi side can realistically afford him mid-season.

This could change in the summer, when central financing is renewed and the league’s CEO, who has openly called Salah “one of our targets”, may push again if the 33-year-old is still at Liverpool.

On the pitch, Salah continues to be crucial: in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign so far, he has 9 goals and 5 assists in 15 appearances, underlining why Liverpool value him so highly and why any buyer would need to prepare an enormous package to tempt both club and player.