'I wish he'd come!' - Saudi Pro League has 'opened doors' for Mohamed Salah as Liverpool talisman edges closer to free agency

Salah's contract with Liverpool expires at the end of the season and the 32-year-old has had a pessimistic attitude when asked about the likelihood of him signing a new deal.

The forward has long been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, having reportedly been the subject of a lucrative bid from the Middle East last year, and one of the division's higher-ups has reiterated the desire to sign him in the near future.

Mohammed Basrawi, the SPL's general manager of marketing communications, told Marca: "He's one of the best in the world, and very well-liked in the Arab community. I wish he'd come here; we've opened the doors for him, but, I insist, we don't negotiate that, and we don't know anything about it now. Don't get hung up on just the big names. Our job is more to raise the bar for everyone else."

While uncertainty around his future looms, Salah and his Egypt co-stars are preparing for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.