Soccer

Saudi sports minister says Mo Salah joining Pro League would be ‘a privilege’

Salah has been linked with a move to the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia’s sports minister says he would “love” to have Mohamed Salah, pictured, playing in the country’s top division
Saudi Arabia’s sports minister says he would “love” to have Mohamed Salah, pictured, playing in the country’s top division (Adam Davy/PA)
By Jamie Gardner, PA Chief Sports Reporter

Saudi Arabia’s sports minister says he would love to have Liverpool star Mohamed Salah playing in his country’s top flight, and revealed a winter World Cup in 2034 is “still a debate we’re having with FIFA”.

Salah has been in sensational form for the Reds this season but is out of contract in the summer, with speculation persisting that the Saudi Pro League could be a possible destination for the Egypt superstar.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal was asked whether Salah was the “big prize” for the Middle East nation in an interview being aired on the Piers Morgan Uncensored YouTube channel on Thursday night.

“Definitely, because if he ticks all the right boxes, even for us, we’d love to have him,” the sports minister said.

“We feel like we are one with the Egyptians, from our culture and our history and so on.

“So to have Mo Salah or other players that are good role models would be a pleasure and a privilege to have in the Saudi League. Will it happen or not? That’s up to the clubs to decide and to see what negotiations go on.”

Salah said on January 3 that his representatives and Liverpool were “far away from any progress” on a new deal.

Saudi Arabia secured a football prize of a different sort last month, when it was awarded the right to host the 2034 men’s World Cup by acclamation.

Human rights organisations have highlighted the potentially dire consequences of the award for migrant workers involved in building stadia and wider infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, while it seems likely the tournament will have to be played outside the traditional June and July slot because of the intense summer heat in the Middle East.

Asked about the scheduling of the tournament, Prince Abdulaziz said: “That’s a debate that we’re still having with  FIFA, and I’m sure that the ultimate goal would be, ‘What would be the best experience for the fans to come and attend?’”

He pointed to the “success” of Qatar in staging a winter World Cup in November and December 2022, which required many European leagues to take a mid-season break.

“Everyone went on with their business, and it didn’t affect anyone in a big way,” he said.

“Some actually claimed that the matches were actually better at that time, because it was in the beginning of the season, and the athletes were at their peak performance instead of at the end of the season.”

Asked what he thought the final decision would be, he said: “Honestly, I don’t know. We still have a long way to decide on that, and a lot could change in the next 10 years, even with leagues and so on.

“But I think the experience that we had in Qatar showcased that it can happen, and it can happen in a proper way. And nobody, big time, got affected with it. They still complain about the athletes and how many matches they have during a normal season.

“So that’s why we’re still debating this with FIFA. And I think it will be a joint decision to be taken by everyone.”