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Mohamed Salah has been arguably the best player in the world this season, yet it’s crazy to think that the winger might not have been at Liverpool had things panned out differently.

The Egyptian international was subject to a Premier League-record transfer offer in 2023 from Saudi Arabia, with Liverpool opting to reject the offer to keep Salah at the club, who this season is about to hit new heights for the Reds.

Mohamed Salah’s 2024/25 statsGames playedGoalsAssistsPremier League282517UEFA Champions League834League Cup421Total403022

With Joao Neves lauding Salah as ‘scary’, the 32-year-old attacker leaving Liverpool this summer is a prospect that could be likely with the winger’s contract expiring at the end of this season and a new deal yet to be agreed.

Yet according to former Premier League manager Slaven Bilic, Salah moving to Saudi Arabia was a lot closer to happening than most people imagine.

READ MORE: Everything to know on Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah from his wife to net worth

Speaking on the Lineup, the Croatian coach revealed that Salah ‘wasn’t happy’ with his situation under Jurgen Klopp, increasing hopes that the winger would jump ship and make the move to Saudi Arabia last summer.

However, the appointment of Arne Slot has changed everything for Salah, with the attacker now loving life at Liverpool, with hopes increasing that the forward will renew his contract with the Anfield side in the coming days.

Bilic said: “There has definitely been a change this season under Arne Slot as, having been in Saudi Arabia last year, I know he wasn’t happy under Jurgen Klopp and we were expecting him to move.

The whole of Saudi was ready for him and he would have been the star of the league.

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“As far as we were all concerned, it was done and Mo Salah was going to join Al-Ittihad.

He knows the move is there for him when he wants to leave Liverpool.

It’s not a one-year ‘take it or leave it’ project in Saudi.”

Saudi Arabia’s presence in football looks set to hit new heights this summer with a renewed attempt to bring in some of the biggest and best names in the sport to the Middle Eastern state in the transfer window.

And Salah is not the only target for the Saudi Pro League, with Darwin Nunez also wanted by Saudi Arabian clubs as the Uruguay international looks set to leave Liverpool after just three seasons in the Premier League.

With Alisson Becker also subject to interest from Saudi Arabia, this summer could see a number of players make the leap to the Middle East, with Liverpool in a position where they need to be prepared for the worst.