MLS side Sporting Kansas City have drawn up an ambitious plan to sign Mo Salah on a free transfer. Salah, 34, is without a club after leaving Liverpool, having spent nine trophy-laden years at Anfield.
World Cup Exit Opens Door for Club Talks
The forward had been focussing on his exploits with Egypt until they were knocked out of the World Cup on Tuesday. Salah's side suffered a late 3-2 loss against Argentina, despite leading 2-0 until the 79th minute.
Saudi Arabia has long been tipped to be his next destination, but talks over a move to the cash-rich league have reportedly stalled. And now Sporting have emerged as potential suitors.
Sporting Kansas City's Ambitious Plan
According to The Athletic, the Kansas-based outfit are in pole position if Salah decides on a move to Major League Soccer, where multiple clubs have expressed their interest. Sporting's new majority owner, Peter Mallouk, is the son of Egyptian immigrants.
Although it's viewed as a 'long shot' internally, Sporting hope to bring Salah across the Atlantic and make him MLS' latest new star. La Liga icons Robert Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann have both moved to North America this summer.
Mallouk has big plans in Kansas City, posting in response to the news regarding Salah: "Promises made will be promises kept. Lots of conversations happening. One way or another, this team will be significantly better in the second half, much better by the sprint season."
Salah's Preference to Stay in Europe
Salah's preference, however, is to remain in Europe. The Liverpool legend has been courted by Saudi clubs for many years, most notably when Al-Ittihad made a staggering £150million bid in the summer of 2023.
The Sun report that Salah's wage demands have put the blockers on a move. Al-Hilal and Al-Qadsiah are seen as the most likely destinations should a compromise be reached.
Salah was brought to Anfield in 2017 by former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards, who's also a target for Al-Hilal. Edwards, 47, this week stepped down from his role with Fenway Sports Group and Al-Hilal want him to take over as their CEO.
Agent's Update on Future
Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, gave an update on his client's future last month. "Mohamed is doing perfectly fine and neither he nor I prefer to discuss sensitive future plans with people not involved in them," Issa posted on X. "Both he and I are very private about these things. Yes, people may ask and they may get a standard polite response but that's about it."
