MLS Commissioner Don Garber has expressed his strong desire to see Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah play in Major League Soccer.
Salah announced he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the current season, and the Reds agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent, allowing him to leave for free. There has been significant interest from the Saudi Professional League and several European clubs in signing the “Egyptian King.”
Garber: MLS is the Ideal Destination for Salah
Garber began laying the groundwork for Salah’s arrival in the US as early as last December, saying, “Absolutely, if he decides to come to MLS, we will welcome him with open arms.”
He added, “I tell him to contact Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller to see how happy and successful they are and how completely immersed they are in the MLS experience.”
Speaking to reporters in Atlanta on Wednesday, Garber expressed his admiration for Salah, saying, “I couldn’t say this until he announced his departure from Liverpool.” But he would be a fantastic player in MLS, and I think we would provide him with an incredible platform.”
Which MLS clubs are interested in signing Salah?
According to US media reports, San Diego (owned by Egyptian businessman Sir Mohamed Mansour) and Chicago Fire (who have previously pursued stars like Neymar) are not currently interested in signing Salah.
Los Angeles FC declined to comment and appears to be constrained by its current roster model (two exclusions and four under-22s), which prevents it from pursuing Salah unless the club decides to change its model to allow three exclusions later this summer when Salah becomes available.
Meanwhile, Brad Simms, president of New York City FC, commented on the possibility of signing Salah: “I would love to have Mo Salah, but we haven’t had any discussions with him or his agents.”
Simms added, “The most important question is whether the player wants to come to MLS and live in New York City.” We don’t try to convince someone about a city, league, or club; we want players who genuinely want to be here.
🗣️ Ask NYCFC President & CEO Brad Sims if reports linking the club with Mo Salah are true.
“I would love to have Mo Salah. We have not had any discussions with him or his people. What is most important is does the player want to come to MLS and be in New York City. We are not… pic.twitter.com/PJyv3jU8O8
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) March 25, 2026
The Saudi League is currently Salah’s most likely destination
The first club, which has already begun negotiations with the 34-year-old, is Al-Ittihad, especially given the long-standing relationship between the club’s management and Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas, dating back to 2023.
The second club vying with Al-Ittihad for Salah’s signature is Al-Qadisiyah, one of the wealthiest Saudi clubs, owned by the renowned Aramco company.
Over the past two years, Al-Qadisiyah has acquired several high-profile players, and there is a vision for Salah as the new leader of the club’s ambitious project to win titles for the first time in many years.
The Saudi Ministry of Sport will decide which club Salah joins
The Saudi Pro League and the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns a majority stake in the four major clubs, will play a significant role in this decision, but they are not the only ones.
Sky News confirms that the Saudi Ministry of Sport itself will intervene and will decide which Saudi club Salah will join, given the Egyptian star’s widespread fame and his status as one of the greatest Arab players in football history.
