Mo Salah: Liverpool saga takes stunning twist as ambitious MLS side looks to sign Reds icon AND Man City superstar

Mo Salah’s Liverpool contract is set to expire at the end of the season and a new contender has reportedly emerged in the race for his signature – San Diego FC.

San Diego are a new club and will join Major League Soccer in 2025, with owner Sir Mohamed Mansour ready to splash the cash on new additions.

Mansour also owns the well-known Right To Dream football academy in Ghana and also Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.

San Diego have already made some moves in the transfer market including the recent signing of Mexican international Hirving Lozano, who will take up one of their three designated player spots.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, reporting for TBR Football, Mansour is ready to finance a move for Liverpool talisman Salah, as well as Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne.

Due to Salah’s contract situation, he will be able to open talks with foreign clubs from January ahead of a potential free transfer next summer, assuming he does not pen a new deal with Liverpool.

Clubs from the Saudi Pro League are in ‘pole position’ to sign Salah, but San Diego are reportedly set to throw their hat into the ring. It’s claimed that Saudi sides would be willing to make the Egyptian international one of the world’s highest-paid players in order to seal a deal. Mansour knows he can’t compete with that but ‘hopes his Egyptian links can help.’

READ MORE: Liverpool, Arsenal to battle Man City for £50m-rated Serie A star as Arne Slot turns away from top target

Salah, De Bruyne eyed by San Diego

De Bruyne is also out of contract at the end of the season and the report claims he is a ‘long-term target’ for San Diego, with the Belgian international currently ‘considering his options.’

De Bruyne has previously stated his desire to experience American life and a move to California could therefore be appealing.

However, Saudi clubs are willing to offer the Man City star a ‘huge’ contract and that ‘remains under consideration’ by him and his agents.

As for Salah, as we exclusively revealed last month, sources close to Liverpool do not expect him to sign a new contract and believe he will leave the club next summer.

The Saudi Pro League is Salah’s expected destination but that could change if San Diego do make him a lucrative contract offer.

We believe that is unlikely, however, as the SPL are able to offer Salah much more than the California-based side. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) are expected to present a formal contract offer to the Liverpool forward in the coming weeks.

Liverpool target new defensive midfielder

Meanwhile, Liverpool are keen to sign a new defensive midfielder in January, with Arne Slot keen to bring in more competition for Ryan Gravenberch.

Slot isn’t convinced by back-up option Wataru Endo and the Reds are ready to back their manager with a potential new addition in January.

Liverpool’s top target over the summer was Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi. They had agreed to pay the Spaniard’s release clause of €60m (£50.5m, $66.9m) in full, before he snubbed a move to Anfield.

We understand that Liverpool remain interested in Zubimendi, but he isn’t the only midfielder on their shortlist.

Recent reports suggest that Atalanta star Ederson is also admired by Liverpool and he could be available for around £50m in January.

Arsenal and Manchester City are keen on the twice-capped Brazilian international too, so their could be a battle for his services in the coming weeks.

IN FOCUS: Liverpool stars who’ve ditched Anfield for MLS

A potential move to MLS throws a spanner in the works for Liverpool when it comes to Salah’s future, since they originally expected to be mainly contending with offers from the Saudi Pro League.

But were he to make the move to San Diego, the ambitious expansion club whose journey will begin in 2025, Salah would not be the first player to arrive in MLS from Liverpool. The club’s former captain, Steven Gerrard, is the most obvious example, having ended his career with LA Galaxy.

Currently, there are three former Liverpool players plying their trade in MLS, but none who were at Anfield at the same time as Salah. They are:

Luis Suarez, who joined Inter Miami for the 2024 season to reunite with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, some 10 years after he joined the Blaugrana from Liverpool after his 82-goal spell on Merseyside;

Christian Benteke, who only lasted a season at Liverpool before consolidating his career at Crystal Palace and joining DC United in 2022, with whom he has been the top scorer in the whole MLS this year.

And Brad Smith, who came through the Liverpool academy but only played 11 times for the first team, and has now had spells with three different MLS clubs: Seattle Sounders, DC United and current employers Houston Dynamo.

FULL BREAKDOWN: The key contract details of every Liverpool first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents…