On March 28, according to an exclusive report by The Sun, Salah has given up a £20 million loyalty bonus to speed up his departure from Liverpool. With the 33-year-old Egyptian star set to leave this summer, Liverpool are expected to save a total of £40.8 million.
Salah announced this week that he will leave Anfield after nine years - according to current news, he is almost certain to join the Saudi Professional League. Although the super forward is leaving on a free transfer, team owner Fenway Sports Group still views his departure as equivalent to receiving a huge transfer fee.
Salah not only gave up his £400,000-a-week salary, he would have also received that huge loyalty bonus if he had fulfilled his contract. He chose to sign a new two-year contract last summer when he could have left as a free agent.
It is reported that Salah was frustrated by the lack of contract renewal negotiations as early as six months ago, and said that he "would rather leave than stay". When Fenway Sports Group finally sat down with him to negotiate, the winger, who joined from Roma for £34 million in 2017, made high demands: not only to become the highest-paid player alongside captain Van Dijk, but also to stipulate in the contract that he would receive a £20 million loyalty bonus if he stayed until the end of the 2026-27 season.
Now, Salah has given up this huge bonus, but the income he may receive after leaving will far exceed this amount. If he joins Saudi club Al-Ittihad Club, his signing bonus will be at least three times £20 million. It is said that the Saudi club offered £200 million three years ago, or it may join Al-Qadisiyah FC, coached by former Liverpool coach Rodgers, who have prepared a contract of up to £1 billion for this most famous Egyptian player in history.
Another reason for Salah's departure is that his future plans have deviated somewhat from the team. Many people believe that he was basically destined to part ways with Liverpool in the future when he left the team to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations last December, when he had a fierce argument with coach Arne Slot, claiming to have been "pushed into the limelight". Although Salah was frustrated by being repeatedly placed on the bench, the two sides publicly repaired their relationship before a 2-0 home win against Brighton. However, he still instructed his agent Ramy Abbas Issa to formulate a departure plan, and Salah finally announced the result to the public on Tuesday.
As for Salah's next stop, it is currently unclear, although Major League Soccer is also an option, his agent Abbas Issa said on social media: "We don't know Salah where he will go next season, no one knows."
It is rumored that San Diego FC (owned by billionaire Mohamed Mansour) is also interested in introducing Salah, but the Egyptian star has distanced himself from a comprehensive offer. Abbas Issa said: "Salah will be an asset - he will definitely bring great value to that league, that country and that team. He is someone I am very proud of, and if I were a fan, I would definitely sign him. He is an excellent player and professional. However, the way we manage San Diego has commercial considerations, and we must see if he is suitable for our tactical style."