Mohamed Salah has been linked with a move to Al Ahly, but the club’s former director of football says no formal approach has been made for the Liverpool star.
Al Ahly’s former head of football has dismissed suggestions that the Egyptian giants are targeting Mohamed Salah.
Expectations were high for the winger heading into the new Premier League season after scoring an astonishing 29 goals and providing 18 assists for Liverpool last season. However, the 33-year-old endured a nightmare starting the 2025/26 season, scoring just three goals and providing two assists in nine games, while the Reds saw a dramatic drop in fortunes.
The Merseyside club are currently languishing in seventh place in England’s elite division, having suffered four consecutive league defeats against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United and Brentford. Despite signing a new contract at Anfield in April this year, Salah was due to stay at the club until 2027, but has recently been linked with a move to Al Ahly.
read more: What Virgil van Dijk did away from the TV cameras during Liverpool’s recent defeat speaks volumesread more: Arne Slott offers a candid reminder about Alexander Isak’s injury and reality check for Liverpool
Despite this, Saeed Abdel Hafeez revealed that there was no formal bid from the Egyptian powerhouse.
“Mohamed Salah is a very big star and has achieved something difficult for any player in the Arab world. He is focused on his professional career,” he declared, according to Sports Witness.
“It was a media effort to connect Salah with Al Ahly, he is a player who has shown respect to Egyptian football and all Arabs. Let’s be real: Salah renewed his contract with Liverpool a few months ago.
“No one from Al Ahly has spoken about this matter. It has only been spread in the media. We will focus on the team’s priorities. We wish Salah every success.”
It comes as Salah has come under fire for Liverpool’s recent disappointing performances, with Wayne Rooney slamming both striker and captain Virgil van Dijk.
He said on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show after the Reds lost 3-2 to Brentford: “This can happen to a team, it hits them, it creeps up on them and suddenly they’re like, ‘Where did that come from?’
“You’re probably sitting here thinking, three or four weeks ago, no one expected this to happen. And it hits them right away, it hits them hard, and they’re struggling to find a way out of it.
“Right now is a time when managers and team leaders need to make decisions quickly. I’m a little unsure. Van Dijk and Salah have signed new contracts, but I don’t think they’ve really led the team this season.”
Asked why he believed that, Rooney added: “It’s just performance and body language. I think you can tell a lot from body language. I think their body language is a little different.”
“They are the top two players in that team and if their body language is not right it affects everyone else. Liverpool are in a bad situation at the moment and when that happens I can’t explain it. It’s very difficult and I don’t know how to get out of it.”
“When you concede a goal, you immediately think ‘Here we go again’. It’s very difficult to get out of that. The best thing is to simplify things for each player and the manager. Simplify the performance with what you do. Usually if you have better players you win the game, but it’s not that easy.”
Liverpool suffered further heartbreak on Wednesday night as they lost to Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup despite fielding a weakened side.
Ismaila Sarr scored two goals for the Eagles before halftime, and Yeremy Pino sealed the victory with two minutes remaining.
Manager Arne Slott has just 48 hours to get his team ready before returning to action against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday night (kick-off 8pm).
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