Liverpool to treat Salah like Raul, Ronaldo following exit announcement

Liverpool will reportedly allow club legend Mohamed Salah to leave Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the current season, despite having one year remaining on his contract.

As Pulse Sports reported, the Reds announced that the 33-year-old Egyptian international will leave the club at the end of the season, launching a celebration of his legacy and farewell proceedings.

Liverpool's announcement comes 11 months after the former Basel winger signed a lucrative two-year contract renewal last April, a deal worth a reported £350,000 per week that was intended to keep him on Merseyside until June 2027. 

However, following a turbulent campaign marked by a sharp decline in his usual prolific goal-scoring form and a deteriorating relationship with head coach Arne Slot, the club has agreed to let Salah leave as a free agent, according to Ben Jacobs.

By waiving any transfer fee for the final year of his deal, Liverpool will be honouring his immense contributions and allowing him to negotiate freely with new clubs ahead of the summer window.

With his free-agent status, Salah is already the subject of transfer speculation. He already enjoys strong interest from the Saudi Pro League. The Gulf big spenders famously saw a massive £150 million bid rejected by Liverpool in September 2023, and the interest persists.

He is also the subject of lucrative approaches from Major League Soccer (MLS) franchises. Regardless of his rocky final season, Salah will depart as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players. 

During his phenomenal tenure, he helped secure two Premier Leagues, the 2018/2019 UEFA Champions League, the 2021/2022 FA Cup, two EFL Cups, the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2019 UEFA Super Cup. 

Liverpool’s decision to release a contracted club icon for free is rare but has historical precedent in European football. Notable examples include Real Madrid allowing legendary striker Raúl to join Schalke 04 on a free transfer in 2010 despite having a year left on his contract. 

Manchester United also mutually terminated Cristiano Ronaldo's contract in November 2022 following his explosive fallout with the club, which allowed him to join Al Nassr as a free agent.