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It has emerged that Real Madrid wanted Mohamed Salah on a free alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold – but the Egyptian did not even entertain the thought.

Salah’s contract extension, negotiated by sporting director Richard Hughes, includes a base salary of £400,000 weekly – a £50,000 increase from his 2022 terms.

Incentives could push this to £480,000, reflecting his unmatched output: 32 goals this season and a league-leading 1.44 goal contributions per 90 minutes.

While Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal offered a staggering £500 million package, Salah prioritized legacy over lucre, stating, “I signed because I believe we can win more trophies”

Real Madrid have been the kings of the free transfer market in recent years, signing the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger, and David Alaba on Bosman deals, with Trent Alexander-Arnold being touted as the next high-profile capture.

This approach relies on massive signing bonuses and prestige rather than transfer fees.

Yet with Salah, Madrid encountered an immovable object.

Despite monitoring his contract situation since January 2025, they received no encouragement from the forward’s camp.

This is according to the Daily Mail’s Dominic King, who revealed in the Liverpool Confidential that Los Blancos had more than one Liverpool man in their sights:

“Real Madrid, absolutely, would have had interest in signing the most sought-after Bosman had Salah’s contract elapsed, and they would have been doing due diligence in case it got to that point.”

As it was, they were never given any encouragement.”

Furthermore, he points out that those among the Saudi Pro League were ‘crushed’ to discover that the Egyptian would be committing to Liverpool for the foreseeable future:

“They weren’t so accepting in Saudi Arabia, however.

It was never any secret that the money on offer for Salah out there was extraordinary but as late as last Wednesday, Al Hilal thought they still had a chance of securing his signature.”

“It would have been a massive coup for Al Hilal to get Salah, and it is understood the news that he was going to commit to Liverpool left them crushed.”

Meanwhile, Salah himself explained that family stability was crucial; Salah’s wife and children are settled and happy in England, making the prospect of remaining in the country more appealing than relocating abroad:

“They feel at home.

It feels like home so everyone was happy,” Salah said to liverpoolfc.com.

“I think Makka was the happiest one in the family, she wanted us to stay.”

“Of course, we all wanted to stay but Makka because her friends are here and the school?

It was a very good vibe after the moment that I signed.”

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