‘Quite clear’: Former Liverpool managing director lists ‘explanatory reasons’ behind Mohamed Salah free transfer exit

• Purslow tells all in major interview on Salah’s exit
• Dip in form has contributed to Salah leaving at the end of the season
• A move to Saudi Arabia might not be on the cards

Liverpool’s former managing director Christian Purslow has gone into detail about all the facts surrounding Mohamed Salah’s impending free transfer exit from Anfield, when speaking on the Football Boardroom Podcast.

It has dominated conversations in the footballing world ever since the news was revealed, as Salah prepares to walk away from his beloved Merseyside home, at the close of the season.

With 435 games under his belt for the Reds, and 255 goals also on his side, it’s almost a given at this point that both Liverpool and the Egyptian go hand-in-hand.

Mohamed Salah's farewell statement in full after announcing he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season ✍️ pic.twitter.com/DuB6XrbPIa

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 24, 2026

However, the cracks did begin to appear this season when Salah had a public falling out with Arne Slot, after Leeds United 3-3 draw and with his form notably taking a dip, with only five Premier League goals next to his name for the season, a severing of the ties has taken place.

Former managing director of the Anfield giants, Christian Purslow, has taken to the Football Boardroom podcast to discuss the ins and out of Salah’s free transfer exit, with plenty revealed by the 62-year-old, who has also been associated with Liverpool’s Premier League rivals, Chelsea.

Purslow’s comments about Salah’s dip in form

Purslow would go into detail about the multitude of reasons as to why Salah has decided to walk away from his treasured club, with the businessman not holding back on comments about the Egyptian’s dip in form, and his lack of sell-on value, at 33 years of age.

He said: “There could be lots of explanatory reasons but the cold hard facts are Mo Salah’s form has dipped dramatically. 

“That was a very significant blow-up and we said at the time, it was likely to lead to some sort of divorce. It is the kind of football equivalent of a no-fault divorce. It suits both parties. What has happened between the blow-up and now, I think we can safely conclude, that Liverpool would have been looking towards the transfer market to find a way out of a very messy situation with Mo.

“I suspect they found, maybe to their surprise, there wasn’t a market to Mo where someone was going to buy a player with 18 months left on his contract for millions and millions of pounds.

“The cold, hard facts are a player of Mo’s age whose form has dipped, question marks permanently but certainly this season meaningfully, on figures quotes north of £300,000 per week, there was not a transfer market for Mo where he would earn the same amount or more and Liverpool would be paid millions of pounds to release him.

“The two criteria here in elite football are salary and age and profile. There are a tiny number of mega-star footballers who have moved for large transfer fees in their mid-30s. Cristiano Ronaldo is one and people hoped Salah would be another Ronaldo.”

Purslow hasn’t stopped here, though, with his comments on Salah, as he has further revealed that a move to the Saudi Pro League – to try to rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s career path – is unlikely to occur.

Why Salah might not move to Saudi Arabia

It remains up in the air as to what club Salah will next call home after Liverpool, with speculation in the past linking the number 11 to the Saudi Pro League, in a blockbuster move.

Yet, with his free transfer status, there will be no audacious riches to be won on the Reds’ part, with Purslow stating that a move to this area of the world could be dead in the water, owing to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

He concluded: “But there is another factor at large, it is quite clear the referred destination in the speculation was Saudi and going on about football, we can sometimes forget the world going on out there,” said Purslow.

“We are in the middle of a war and that could be a relevant factor. When you are a wealthy footballer, you can choose where you want to live and have your family live for the next two or three years.

“I suspect a move to Saudi is more complicated than it was before this year. It looks a bit more of a dangerous place. Players think hugely about their families and factors beyond the pure football. [On a separate point], it’s been obvious for some time that the era of Saudi clubs buying players over 30 for big transfer fees is behind us. They were bailing out a number of clubs in Europe, particularly in the Premier League, by doing these deals.”

Purslow really has offered some fascinating insight here into what has gone on behind the curtain with Salah’s shock exit, as Liverpool fans prepare to bid farewell to one of their most memorable modern-day icons when May rolls around.