Mohamed Salah tipped to copy Cristiano Ronaldo after public Liverpool contract plea

Former Manchester United player Lee Sharpe has suggested that Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah could outshine Cristiano Ronaldo if he were to make a move to Saudi Arabia.

The Egyptian forward’s future at Anfield has been the subject of much speculation recently, despite his impressive performance against Southampton on Sunday. He scored twice and helped Arne Slot’s team extend their lead at the top of the table to eight points.

However, following the match, Salah hinted that he was “probably more out than in” regarding his contract negotiations with Liverpool. He also expressed disappointment over the club’s failure to offer him a new deal, fuelling rumours that he might be considering a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Last year, Al-Ittihad, the club where Karim Benzema plays, reportedly made a bid of over £150million for Salah. Some Liverpool supporters felt it might be the right time for Salah to depart, given a dip in his form under Jurgen Klopp, his age (32), and the increasing risk of injuries.

Despite this, Salah has continued to demonstrate his exceptional talent this season, scoring 10 goals in 12 games and helping Liverpool secure their position at the top of the league.

Sharpe has tipped Salah to copy Ronaldo and move to Saudi Arabia, where he would become the star player there, even surpassing the Portuguese legend, as the Gulf nation attempts to improve the image of its struggling league.

Speaking to The Racing Tipster he said: “I can only imagine Mohamed Salah would go to Saudi Arabia, as I don’t think anyone else will be able to afford him. There’s also nowhere else he could go in Europe that’s a bigger club, with a bigger fanbase, crowd and atmosphere than he has at Liverpool – he’s not going to go to Manchester United, that’s for sure!

“He’ll likely just want to secure his future and have an easier life in Saudi. If he did go there, he’d be the biggest player in the Saudi Pro League – he’s still young and fit enough to dominate.

“We see Cristiano Ronaldo doing well over there, but I think Salah is a better player and a bigger name than him these days.”

Ronaldo has continued to astonish in Saudi, banging in a whopping 50 goals in 51 outings last term for Al-Nassr.

Should Salah make the shift, not only does he arrive as one of the premier wide men in football, but the Muslim idol is lauded across the Arab realm – dubbed the ‘Pride of the Arabs’.

With Islam central to the governance and culture of this Mideast nation, the affinity between Salah and supporters would likely deepen even further.