Mohamed Salah has just been cleared for Saudi Arabia transfer as fans turn on former Liverpool star

The summer exodus to Saudi Arabia threatened to seriously derail Liverpool’s rebuild before the season even started. A few months on though, it’s the players who followed the money that might be regretting their decisions now.

We have of course heard plenty about Jordan Henderson’s rather ill-thought-out transfer is already turning sour. All of the controversy that surrounded his decision to effectively turn his back on the LGBT+ community that he once rallied so hard for has led to him becoming a figure of ridicule upon his appearances for the England squad — he can probably expect more boos later this month after once again being selected by Gareth Southgate for the upcoming international break.

The England manager’s loyalty to the former Liverpool skipper is quite frankly baffling at this point. Henderson is clearly not playing anywhere near the same level he was earlier this year with the Reds, and as the crowds dwindle with Al-Ettifaq having won just one of its last five games, you have to wonder at what point Southgate draws the line.

But it’s not just Henderson that isn’t having the best of times out in the Middle East. His former teammates Roberto Firmino and Fabinho are struggling just as much, with the former now even being linked with yet another move in January.

Firmino’s time in Saudi Arabia couldn’t have started any better. A hat-trick on his Al-Ahli debut against Al-Hazem suggested the Brazilian was about to take the Pro League by storm, but in the 12 games since then, there hasn’t been a single goal.

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According to Goal, the 32-year-old is facing calls from supporters to be sold already, and TeamTalk has now suggested Al-Ahli is ready to offload the forward. Having had every corner of Anfield signing his name just a few months ago, that really would be the ultimate fall from grace for Firmino.

That should serve as a major warning to Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian is of course a target for the Saudi Pro League, and the rejected $184m (£150m/€172m) offer from Al-Ittihad during the summer has made the Gulf state’s intentions very clear.

The fact that Salah will be 32 next year and entering the final 12 months of his contract at Liverpool has led plenty to suggest we might be seeing Salah’s final season in red. But, unlike his former teammates, the winger isn’t showing much sign of slowing down, with Jürgen Klopp showing no signs of wanting to offload him.

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“He knows how players react to him and if he cannot score he can still be a threat for us and that’s super important,” Klopp said last month. “I cannot compare Mo to other 30-odd-year-old players because I don’t think biologically he is.”

Saudi Arabia, therefore, doesn’t look like the ideal destination for a player still cutting it at the top end of the game. What’s more, Firmino’s own experience — not to mention Robbie Fowler’s, with the former Liverpool striker being brutally sacked despite leading Al Qadsiah to an unbeaten start — shows why it isn’t the place to go when you’re reaching the end of your career.

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Mohamed Salah has just been cleared for Saudi Arabia transfer as fans turn on former Liverpool star

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