"Nobody will remember Salah anymore, just like I don't remember Messi." That's Egyptian FA director Ibrahim Hassan, and he's not wrong to be worried.
With Mohamed Salah confirming his Liverpool exit this summer, the conversation has shifted from whether he leaves Anfield to where on earth he lands. Hassan has a clear preference: Europe first, Saudi Arabia second, MLS never. He specifically name-dropped PSG and Bayern Munich as ideal destinations, and pointed to Cristiano Ronaldo's presence in the Saudi Pro League as a reason that move would still carry weight.
The Messi comparison cuts deep because it's largely accurate. Inter Miami games don't show up in the European morning feeds. Messi — arguably the greatest player of his generation — has genuinely drifted from the daily football conversation since crossing the Atlantic. Salah, at 32, is not in decline. A move to a low-visibility league would be a choice to disappear, not retire gracefully.
Inter Miami? Fabrizio Romano says no
The rumour mill had Salah potentially joining Messi in Florida, which would have been a commercial dream and a sporting head-scratcher. Fabrizio Romano shut that down cleanly this week, confirming Inter Miami have held no negotiations and that no talks have been opened.
What is real, according to Romano, is Saudi interest. The league has been chasing Salah for two years. This summer, with him as a free agent, they finally have a genuine shot. No transfer fee. Just wages.
Salah's agent Ramy Abbas Issa has kept things deliberately vague, posting on X: "We do not know where Mohamed will play next season. This also means that no one else knows." That's either genuine uncertainty or a negotiating posture — probably both.
What this actually means for the market
A free agent of Salah's calibre landing at PSG or Bayern shifts things considerably. PSG's attacking depth odds, Bayern's Champions League price — both would move with his arrival. The Saudi option keeps him relevant but removes him from the European picture entirely, which suits the league's star-collection strategy even if it doesn't serve Salah's legacy.
PSG and Bayern have been linked. Italian clubs have been mentioned. The Saudi billions remain on the table. What hasn't happened yet is a decision — and until Salah's camp makes one, every club attached to his name is speculating into a void.
