When Mohamed Salah steps out onto the Anfield pitch against Brentford this Sunday, it will be for the last time as a Liverpool player.
After nine extraordinary years, one of the greatest players in the club’s storied history will take his bow – and football will spend the summer waiting to find out where he lands next.
Earlier in the season, the club confirmed that Salah had reached an agreement with the Reds to bring his time at Anfield to a close at the end of the 2025-26 season.
With 257 goals in 438 appearances, he is the third-highest scorer in Liverpool’s history, and a haul of major honours that includes two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Across the 2025-26 campaign, relations between Salah and head coach Arne Slot collapsed as the season wore on, with the 33-year-old publicly criticising the team’s playing style following a 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa, calling for a return to the “heavy metal attacking” football that made Liverpool so feared under Jurgen Klopp.
Slot has remained non-committal about whether Salah will even start Sunday’s farewell fixture, leaving the prospect of an anti-climactic goodbye hanging in the air.
A minor muscle injury picked up against Crystal Palace in late April added further uncertainty to the departure, though Salah has made clear through a series of gym updates on social media that he is fit and ready.
Whatever the manner of his exit, Salah departs as a Liverpool immortal. The question now consuming the footballing world is what comes next.
101GreatGoals takes a look at five clubs he could join as a free agent this summer.
1. Al-Ittihad (Saudi Pro League)
The club that have wanted Salah the longest, and the destination that many insiders still consider the most likely outcome. Al-Ittihad made a staggering $200 million bid for Salah back in September 2023, a move Liverpool rebuffed with barely a second thought.
The Saudi giants have since lost Karim Benzema to Al-Hilal, leaving a superstar-shaped void at the top of their squad.
The Saudi Pro League is one of a tiny handful of leagues on the planet capable of matching or exceeding Salah’s current Premier League wages, and with Salah available on a free transfer, all money can be directed towards the wage package.
The cultural angle is significant too, as arguably the world’s most prominent Muslim athlete, Salah would represent an enormous symbolic coup for the league and for the Kingdom.
Al-Ittihad have form in landing marquee names – they brought in N’Golo Kante and Benzema – and they will make no secret of their ambitions this summer.
The concern for Salah, if he is to be believed, is the competitive level. The Saudi Pro League remains a step below Europe’s elite competitions, and at 33, with his powers evidently still considerable, the prospect of parking himself outside the Champions League is one that sources suggest he remains reluctant to accept.
2. Juventus (Serie A)
If Salah opts to remain in European football, then Juventus represent perhaps the most compelling destination. The Turin giants have been undergoing a significant revival, with Champions League qualification back on the radar, and one name reportedly high on their list is Salah himself.
The Italian connection runs deeper than most appreciate. Salah spent two productive seasons at Roma from 2015 to 2017, falling in love with life in Italy before Liverpool came calling.
His time in Serie A showed he could adapt to a different style of football, and a return to Italy could offer the perfect balance: a highly competitive league with a slower tempo than the Premier League, allowing Salah to preserve his legs while still performing at the highest level.
Kevin De Bruyne made a similar calculation when he moved to Napoli, finding a new lease of life away from the relentless grind of English football.
Juventus have appointed Luciano Spalletti as head coach, the same manager who worked with Salah at Roma and helped shape his development into the forward he became.
3. Al-Hilal (Saudi Pro League)
If not Al-Ittihad, then their fiercest Saudi rivals Al-Hilal represent another serious possibility from the Kingdom. The club, backed by the Public Investment Fund alongside Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli, have already demonstrated their appetite for the world’s biggest names, and reports suggest all four PIF-backed clubs have registered an interest in bringing Salah to the Saudi Pro League this summer.
Al-Hilal can offer Champions League-level infrastructure, world-class facilities, and an ambitious squad of their own. For Salah, a move within Saudi Arabia’s top clubs is not simply a step into retirement, it is a chance to compete in one of the most well-financed leagues on the planet, surrounded by international talent, in a country that would treat him as a national hero.
The offer of a lucrative final contract, guaranteed to provide financial security for life, is one that is increasingly difficult to turn down for a player entering the twilight of his career.
4. Inter Miami / San Diego FC (MLS)
The MLS option deserves serious consideration, even if it represents a different kind of move to the others on this list.
Inter Miami are the most glamorous destination. The Independent has reported that the David Beckham-owned club are willing to make Salah an offer that would see him partner Lionel Messi in Florida.
The financial packages on offer in MLS are reported to be broadly comparable to what Saudi clubs can offer. However, Inter Miami currently have no available Designated Player slots, with all three held by Messi, Rodrigo de Paul and German Berterame, meaning significant squad restructuring would be required.
San Diego FC, the league’s newest franchise, represent the wilder card. Their billionaire owner, Sir Mohamed Mansour, is a British-Egyptian businessman who has made no secret of his desire to bring Salah to Southern California.
The 2026 World Cup, being co-hosted by the United States, adds an extra layer of appeal. Salah, almost certain to lead Egypt at the tournament, would have the entire American football public as a potential new fanbase.
5. A Return to Roma (Serie A)
Perhaps the most romantically charged option on this list, and one that should not be entirely discounted. Salah’s two years at Roma between 2015 and 2017 remain fondly remembered by both the player and the club’s supporters.
He was electric in the Italian capital, the form that ultimately convinced Liverpool to spend what was then a club-record £36.9 million to bring him to Merseyside.
Roma may be able to offer Champions League football next season as well. It would also keep him sharp in competitive European football and give him a platform to reach the goal-scoring milestones he will undoubtedly be targeting as he approaches the latter stages of his career.
