Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has been spotted holding a “secret London summit” with former Anfield team-mate Jordan Henderson. The Egyptian superstar, who will soon be heading off on Africa Cup of Nations duty, is seeing questions asked of his future on Merseyside following an explosive outburst. He is being linked with Saudi Pro League teams, with Henderson having previously spent time in that division.
There have been suggestions that Salah may have taken in his last appearance for Liverpool, having reached 420 on that front. The two-time Premier League champion and four-time Golden Boot winner has registered 250 goals for the Reds.
He has been named among the substitutes by Arne Slot across three successive matches, with no game time seen in a dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds. That snub led to Salah speaking out, as he accused Liverpool of throwing him under the bus and admitted to seeing a working relationship with his Dutch coach break down. He said: “I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. It is not acceptable to me, to be fair. I don’t get it. It’s like I’m being thrown more under the bus. I don’t think I’m the problem.”
That outburst led to Salah being dropped for Liverpool’s 1-0 Champions League over Inter at San Siro, as he was left behind in England. The 33-year-old forward has taken a trip to London for a “secret rendezvous” with Henderson – as caught on camera by The Sun.
England international Henderson is now on the books at Brentford. He spent five months with Saudi outfit Al-Ettifaq, working under Reds legend Steven Gerrard, before returning to Europe at Ajax and eventually heading back to Britain.
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Salah is now seeing a switch to the Middle East speculated on, with teams in that region holding long-standing interest in his services. The Saudi Pro League is considered to have been one topic of conversation when Salah met up with ex-Liverpool captain Henderson.
A source told The Sun: “They both came in wearing covid-style masks and had hats covering their faces. They tried to stay under the radar. Our mouths dropped when we saw it was Mo and Jordan. The immediate thought was, ‘Salah’s off to Saudi’.”
Another onlooker said, having seen Salah and Henderson spend 90 minutes chatting away: “Mo looked happy as he listened and took it all in. He kept asking Jordan questions, and lent in eagerly to hear what was being said. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. It was obvious Jordan was explaining things to Mo, who listened so intently and was clearly mulling over what he was being told.”
Chief executive of the Saudi Pro League, Omar Mugharbel, told the World Football Summit in Riyadh on Wednesday when asked about a potential deal for one of the most recognisable players on the planet: “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure Salah is one of them.”
According to The Sun, Al-Hilal, Al-Qadsiah and Neom have all expressed interest in Salah, who saw Liverpool reject a £150 million ($201m) transfer bid from Al-Ittihad in 2023. He signed a two-year contract extension with Liverpool in April that is due to run until the summer of 2027.
It is claimed that Liverpool remain confident that any issues between Salah and Slot can be resolved, allowing a modern day Reds legend to remain in his current surroundings. Saudi teams are, however, of the opinion that the Premier League giants are trying to “protect their star player’s transfer value and are keeping a keen eye on developments” ahead of the January window.
