For nearly a decade, Mohamed Salah has stood at the centre of Liverpool’s identity, its rise, its trophies, and its global reach. He is the club’s most recognisable face, its most marketable figure, and statistically one of the greatest players in its entire 132-year history. Yet even legends have breaking points. And even icons experience moments where their futures become tangled in uncertainty. Today, as Arne Slot repeatedly leaves Salah on the bench and transfer rumours resurface with more intensity than ever, the truth is becoming impossible to ignore: the Egyptian king has long been preparing his mind for life after Liverpool.

This is not a sudden development. It didn’t begin with Slot. It didn’t begin with the Saudi Pro League interest. It didn’t begin with his most recent contract. Instead, Salah’s evolving thoughts about his future—his ambitions, frustrations, and shifting loyalties—have been visible for years through comments he made publicly, moments he shared privately, and decisions he weighed behind the scenes.

This long-form feature takes a deep look into Salah’s true transfer feelings, the hints he dropped about leaving, the frustrations he revealed, his love–hate relationship with the club’s contract policy, and his open admiration for Real Madrid and Barcelona. It also examines how the Saudi Pro League nearly secured his signature, why the door remains open, and how Arne Slot’s decisions have added new dimensions to a situation already years in the making.

By the time you finish reading this 3000-word analysis, you will understand the full picture:
Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool story has always had a complicated ending hidden in plain sight.

1. The First Earthquake: Salah’s Early Admiration for Real Madrid and Barcelona

To understand where the story truly begins, we must go back to December 2020. Liverpool were Premier League champions. Salah was at the peak of his powers. He was globally adored, and there was no reason for any supporter to imagine he would ever want to leave.

And then, out of nowhere, came the interview that changed everything.

Speaking to AS, one of Spain’s biggest newspapers, Salah responded to a question about Barcelona and Real Madrid. The expectation was simple: he would politely praise them, then reaffirm his loyalty to Liverpool.

But he didn’t. Instead, he said:

“I think Madrid and Barcelona are two top clubs… we never know what is going to happen in the future.”

It was the first crack in the unstoppable machine Liverpool had become under Jürgen Klopp. Salah had just communicated—whether he intended to or not—that a move to the Spanish giants was not only possible, but something he considered in his long-term career path.

At the time, fans dismissed the comments as harmless. But realistically, this was Salah’s first public hint that he had ambitions beyond Anfield. In Spain, Madrid insiders interpreted the statement as a green light. Barcelona, despite their financial troubles, took note. And Liverpool fans began to fear what many great players before had done—seek the bright lights of La Liga.

Looking back now, that interview reads like the opening chapter of Salah’s exit story.

2. The Contract Saga That Revealed Salah’s Frustrations

Fast forward to the first half of 2021, when Salah entered a slow, tense, heavily publicised contract negotiation with Liverpool’s board. It was during this period that Salah gave one of his most telling statements—an admission that showed both his desire to stay and his frustration with the club’s approach.

Speaking to Norwegian television, he said:

“My future is in the hands of the club.”

On the surface, that sounded respectful. But the subtext was far more complicated.

Salah was pointing the finger upward—towards the executives, not the coaching staff. He was essentially saying:

“I want to stay, but they aren’t giving me what I believe I deserve.”

At the heart of the conflict was Liverpool’s long-established policy:
do not offer long-term, high-wage contracts to players over 30.

Salah was approaching that threshold, and the club refused to break their structure. For him—a man delivering historic numbers—this felt both unfair and personal. It was a battle of philosophy vs. performance.

This was the moment the relationship changed forever.

3. Firmino Leaves… and Salah Acknowledges His Own Mortality

By 2024, Liverpool had begun a soft rebuild. Sadio Mané had already left. Roberto Firmino, Salah’s closest attacking partner, made his emotional departure next. And Salah—normally upbeat and fiercely competitive—offered a sombre reflection.

In November 2024, he said:

“Everybody will leave one day.”

These were not the words of a man who felt secure. These were the words of a man who understood the cycle of football. Salah loved Liverpool. But he no longer viewed himself as an untouchable presence. Firmino’s exit had shown him that status does not protect anyone—not even legends.

Behind the scenes, friends described him as conflicted:

Part of him wanted to retire as a Liverpool icon.
Part of him wanted one last big challenge.
Part of him wanted a financial package worthy of his status.
Part of him wanted respect.

This internal conflict would soon explode into full view.

4. “Probably More Out Than In”: Salah’s Most Brutal Admission

Late in 2024, when contract negotiations hit a major roadblock, Salah gave the bluntest, most unfiltered statement of his Liverpool career. Asked directly about his future, he replied:

“I’m probably more out than in.”

That sentence shook Liverpool supporters around the world.

It was not vague. It was not diplomatic. It was not political.
It was raw honesty.

At that time, Salah had not received the contract he wanted. He felt the club were hesitating. He felt undervalued because of his age, not his output. He felt unwanted.

This was the moment Liverpool fans first panicked.
This was the moment Saudi clubs began preparing gigantic offers.
This was the moment Real Madrid again took notice.

And quietly, Salah himself began mentally preparing for a life beyond Merseyside.

5. Contract Talks ‘Far Away’ Despite Media Optimism

As the January 2025 window approached, several British outlets reported that Salah and Liverpool were close to an agreement. Supporters celebrated. Pundits predicted a swift conclusion.

But Salah himself shut down the party when he told Sky Sports:

“We are far away from that.”

It was a direct contradiction of the positive reports. It told the public everything they needed to know:

The situation was nowhere near resolved.

The truth?
Negotiations were frozen.
The club was cautious.
Salah was tired of waiting.

And Real Madrid’s interest quietly intensified behind the scenes.

6. Only a 10% Chance of Staying: How Close Salah Came to Leaving

When Salah eventually renewed his contract in spring 2025, the football world assumed he had always intended to stay. But in May, Salah himself revealed the shocking truth:

“I thought my chances of staying were only around 10 per cent.”

Ten percent.
In other words, he believed he was leaving.

This was not exaggeration. According to insiders, Salah had:

• told friends he was ready for a new chapter
• informed his representatives to evaluate Saudi offers
• considered how his legacy would be affected
• mentally accepted that Liverpool would not meet his demands

The only reason he stayed was because the club ultimately softened their stance on players over 30—something Salah openly took a subtle jab at after signing.

That jab was the clearest sign yet that he still felt disrespected.

7. The Saudi League: Not Just an Option—A Near-Certainty

During those same interviews, Salah confirmed for the first time that Saudi Arabia was a genuine, realistic, and even likely destination for him.

He said:

“There was a very big chance I would’ve been in the Saudi League.”

Behind the scenes, sources confirmed:

• three Saudi clubs made formal approaches
• one club offered to double his Liverpool wages
• another club offered him the highest salary in world football

To put it bluntly:
Salah was almost gone.

Liverpool knew it.
Salah knew it.
Saudi Arabia knew it.

Only the final contract offer kept him at Anfield—but his interest in Saudi football never fully disappeared.

8. The Door Remains Open: Saudi Contact Continues

Perhaps the most revealing quote of all came after Salah had signed his extension. Instead of distancing himself from Saudi Arabia, he admitted:

His relationship with Saudi officials was “still good and ongoing.”

In elite football, that kind of statement is not accidental. It means:

• he has not closed the door
• they have not stopped pursuing him
• the next approach could succeed

Saudi Arabia view Salah as one of the few global superstars capable of transforming the league’s worldwide image. And Salah, now in his 30s, may soon find such offers more appealing.

9. The Arne Slot Era: Being Benched Changes Everything

This season introduced a new variable. A big one.
For the first time in years, Mohamed Salah—the man Liverpool built their entire attack around—found himself on the bench.

Arne Slot’s decision to drop him has:

• shocked supporters
• fuelled speculation
• damaged Salah’s relationship with the manager
• reopened transfer discussions

Salah is not the type to complain publicly. But being benched impacts even the greatest players. For a man who stayed loyal to the club through contract battles, enormous Saudi offers, and repeated uncertainty, this situation feels like a breaking point.

He has never been treated as a squad player.
He has never been rotated like a backup.
He has never been this far from the centre of Liverpool’s plans.

For a man who embraces challenge, this is a test he never expected.

10. Did Salah Ever Dream of Real Madrid? Yes — and He Finally Admitted It

While Salah never publicly begged for a move to Real Madrid, he made several comments over the years that hinted at admiration. Among close friends and former teammates, the belief has long been that Salah wanted at least one season at a global superpower like Madrid.

His early AS comments revealed interest.
His contract frustrations made the move feasible.
His difficult relationship with Liverpool’s wage structure made it logical.
Madrid insiders have repeatedly confirmed admiration for him.

But the most revealing moment came when Salah finally admitted that:

Real Madrid made him think seriously about leaving.

He didn’t say it loudly.
He didn’t say it dramatically.
But he said enough to make the message clear.

If the timing had been right,
If the contract dispute had continued,
If Saudi Arabia had not intervened,
If Madrid had made a concrete bid—

Salah’s Liverpool story could have ended much earlier.

11. The Emotional Side: Salah’s Legacy, Loyalty, and Internal Conflict

To understand Salah’s decisions, one must understand the emotional conflict he carries.

He loves Liverpool—truly.
He loves the city.
He loves the fans.
He loves the legacy he has built.
But he has also felt repeatedly undervalued.

Liverpool view contracts through age and structure.
Salah views his career through performance and loyalty.

This is why his interviews sometimes sound contradictory:

One day he says he wants to stay forever.
The next day he says he is “more out than in.”

Because both statements come from the same truth:

He wants to stay — but only if Liverpool treat him like the player he truly is.

12. What Happens Next? The Future Salah Has Been Hinting At

As things stand today:

• Salah is no longer guaranteed to start
• his relationship with Slot is under pressure
• Saudi Arabia remain heavily invested
• Real Madrid continue monitoring him
• Liverpool are planning their long-term rebuild
• Salah is more open than ever to a final big move

There is a growing belief in football that Salah’s Liverpool story is slowly approaching its final chapter.

Not because he wants to leave.
Not because he wants to force a transfer.
But because his career ambitions and Liverpool’s direction may no longer align.

And for the first time, it feels like both sides understand this.

Final Thought: Mohamed Salah’s Future Was Never Simple

Mohamed Salah is not just another player whose contract expires or whose form fluctuates. He is a global icon, a Premier League legend, a Liverpool immortal, and one of the most important figures in African football history.

But even icons face crossroads.
Even legends question their futures.
Even kings outgrow their kingdoms.

The truth is that Salah has been signalling the possibility of an exit for years.
The admiration for Real Madrid.
The frustration with Liverpool’s policies.
The emotional impact of losing teammates.
The gravity of Saudi Arabia’s offers.
The uncertainty of new management under Arne Slot.

Piece by piece, Salah’s future has been taking shape.

And now, with him on the bench and the club entering a new era, the question is no longer whether he has considered leaving