Can the MLS afford Mohamed Salah? Lionel Messi’s wage suggests winger must take pay cut
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It is the end of an era at Liverpool as Mohamed Salah begins the search for his next club following a solid World Cup campaign with Egypt.Exactly where the winger will end up remains to be seen, but recent suggestions say that the Saudi Pro League and MLS are leading the race for Salah.Fans wanted the forward to remain in Europe, but a move elsewhere does seem more likely, especially now that American outfit Sporting Kansas City have emerged as a top suitor for the player.However, should Salah indeed swap England for the MLS, he would probably earn less than he has been at Liverpool. Is Mohamed Salah Liverpool’s greatest EVER player?
Nine years of sheer brilliance are coming to an end… Photo Credit: Getty Images/Stuart Franklin – UEFA/Michael Regan Lionel Messi is the highest-paid MLS player but still earns less than Mohamed Salah did at LiverpoolAfter essentially carrying the Reds to a league title in 2024/25, the 34-year-old was handed a new contract at Anfield.Said deal, which he has agreed to terminate despite having a year left to run, was said to be worth, without bonuses, £400,000-a-week.That made him the highest-paid player on Merseyside, with Virgil van Dijk (£350,000-a-week) taking second place after he was also offered fresh terms in 2025.So, it would make sense for Salah to now be looking to earn similar money at his next club. But will anyone in the MLS pay up?The reality is, probably not.
Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in the division, and rightly so, earning $480,769-a-week (£358,729-a-week) without bonuses.While Salah is still a bit younger than Messi, the Argentine is the greatest of all time, and it is hard to imagine any American team wanting to, or having the resources to, offer the Liverpool icon more.In turn, it seems like a move to the Saudi Pro League may well suit the Egyptian better from a financial perspective.Cristiano Ronaldo is thought to earn €4,007,692-a-week in the Middle East, showing there is a much higher ceiling.Yes, you could argue that Salah, just like with Messi, wouldn’t get close to that figure in Saudi Arabia.But it is worth pointing out that former Liverpool player Sadio Mane takes home an estimated €769,231-a-week (around £655,000-a-week) at Al Nassr.Given Salah and Mane are a more similar level of player, the departing Reds star could probably expect a similar sum if he moved to the Saudi league, which is still far more than what anyone in the MLS currently pays.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox