The King is a free agent. And suddenly, half the football world wants to know if Mohamed Salah’s next kingdom is going to be… Major League Soccer.
After officially leaving Liverpool on July 1 — tearing up his contract a year early after an era-defining spell at Anfield — Salah spent the rest of his summer doing something he’s rarely had to do in over a decade: job hunting. And with Egypt now out of the World Cup after a heartbreaking last-16 collapse against Argentina, the 34-year-old is finally free to focus fully on deciding where he plays next.
The MLS Chatter Is Real
This isn’t some throwaway rumor. Multiple credible outlets are reporting that MLS clubs have been circling. According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Major League Soccer clubs made direct calls to look into Salah’s availability. And here’s where it gets fun — there’s actually a mini transfer-market subplot over which MLS club gets him.
Sporting Kansas City has emerged as one serious suitor. But according to The Athletic’s MLS insider Tom Bogert, if Salah does cross the Atlantic, the smart money says he lands at San Diego FC — a club owned by fellow Egyptian businessman Mohamed Mansour. Bogert didn’t mince words: “If San Diego want him, San Diego’s getting him. If he comes to MLS, it’s going to be San Diego, unless San Diego tell us that they don’t want him.”
Basically: San Diego has unofficial dibs.
Following in Messi’s Footsteps?
The comparison writes itself. Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami turned MLS into appointment viewing overnight, and league executives clearly haven’t stopped dreaming since. Salah has reportedly enjoyed his time stateside during the World Cup, and insiders believe that experience could be nudging him toward a permanent switch. He’d also be walking into a league that just landed another global superstar this summer in Robert Lewandowski, who signed with Chicago Fire.
But MLS Isn’t the Only Suitor Knocking
Before Liverpool fans start updating their FPL rankings, know this: MLS is far from a done deal. Salah is genuinely weighing offers from across three continents. The Saudi Pro League remains firmly in the mix, though his salary demands are reportedly proving a sticking point there. Serie A giants Roma — his old club, where he became a fan favorite between 2015 and 2017 — and Juventus are both said to be exploring a sensational Italian reunion, even if the finances are tricky. Turkish side Fenerbahçe has also been strongly linked, with a former board member claiming talks had once reached an advanced stage over salary.
Even Liverpool legend John Barnes has weighed in publicly, urging Salah to stay in Europe: “No other club in Europe is going to give him the wages that he wants… but I would completely admire him for taking less money and continuing in a top league.”
The Bottom Line
Nothing is signed, sealed, or confirmed. But the pieces are all on the board — Saudi riches, an Italian homecoming, a Turkish curveball, or a San Diego sunset alongside Messi’s MLS revolution. Whichever way Salah jumps, it’s shaping up to be one of the summer’s biggest storylines. Buckle up.
