American investor and Al-Kholood owner Ben Harburg has issued a warning to Saudi clubs over the potential signing of Mohamed Salah.
Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool has come under intense scrutiny following a bombshell interview in which he said that he felt thrown under the bus and that his relationship with manager Arne Slot had broken down.
The 33-year-old remained on the bench during Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds and was subsequently left out of the squad that traveled to face Inter Milan in the Champions League. Liverpool won 1-0 in his absence, a result that has only added to speculation over how much the club needs him.
Multiple clubs in the Saudi Pro League are believed to be monitoring Salah’s situation. Notably, interest is reportedly strongest from Al-Hilal, NEOM FC, and Al-Qadsiah.
However, Al-Kholood owner Ben Harburg has gone against the grain, offering a contrarian view at the World Football Summit in Riyadh. While discussing whether Saudi clubs should go for Salah, Harburg claimed that the Liverpool star “is not a fit” for the league and that he has “underperformed massively” since signing his last contract.
He is not a fit for our league
“There’s a narrative around him that they asked him to come before, and he rejected us. These are not people [who] like to be spurned and are going to come back around the second time,” Harburg said.
“So I do think that there’s already, even amongst the public, much more apprehension around his coming into the league.”
He’s 33 years old. He got paid a boatload [at Liverpool]… and has underperformed massively since then.”
While some may be drawn to Salah’s global appeal and regional significance, Harburg made it clear he sees others as better suited to the league’s ambitions.
“I’m sure some people like his star power. But my sentiment is that he is not a fit for our league,” he added.
“If it were between him and Vinicius Jr., I’d take Vinicius. I think Vinicius should come here and thrive. I actually think it might end up being a better environment for someone like him.”
“But I’m hoping we go after those 25-year-old next wave players rather than guys like Salah, who definitely this would be the last stop of his career.”
Clarifying remarks on Salah and SPL spending
Following his comments, Harburg later clarified his position. He emphasized that while Salah would be welcome in Saudi Arabia, he should not expect inflated wages.
“My comments on Salah were not to say we don’t want stars. The first comment I made publicly was that we don’t want to overpay for them. So, if he wants to come to us, I said, welcome him. But he needs to take a lower salary. We’re happy to bring these players in, as long as they’re taking proportionate pay. We shouldn’t be paying them five times more to be here.”
“And then ideally targeting players who are earlier in their career. So, they can grow up and contribute rather than viewing it as one last stop before they retire,” he added.
When asked directly whether his club, Al-Kholood, would consider signing Salah, Harburg replied, “We couldn’t afford him anyway!”
“In any event, he certainly wouldn’t be our type of player. We look for players abroad who are around 25 or younger. [Players] that are in the beginning or middle of their career and sold on to other, higher-spending clubs in our league or across the world.”
He added, “It doesn’t hurt to bring in stars. But I’ve been adamant with our fans and media that we won’t be [signing] stars. We want to build them rather than buy them.”
Interest remains, but at a cost
Despite Harburg’s comments, Saudi Pro League interest in Salah remains strong. Al-Hilal, who previously pursued the Liverpool forward before the Club World Cup, still have him on their radar. NEOM FC are reportedly prepared to make a move if Salah becomes available. While Al-Qadsiah are also monitoring the situation and could finance a deal independently.
SPL sporting director Michael Emenalo, who has a personal relationship with Salah, is expected to play a central role in any negotiations. League officials are also said to view Salah as a successor to Cristiano Ronaldo in promoting the league’s image globally.
However, financial considerations will be a major factor.