Cristiano Ronaldo watches closely as Mohamed Salah could reportedly join the Saudi Pro League

Mohamed Salah could soon share a league — and a rivalry — with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Egyptian forward, who departed Liverpool as a free agent after nine years at Anfield, remains on course for a move to Al Ittihad, in what would set up direct confrontations with Ronaldo’s Al Nassr for years to come.

Al Ittihad have offered Salah an annual salary in the region of $25 million, and the 33-year-old has reportedly accepted those terms in principle, with the move said to be approaching its final stages.

However, the deal is not entirely in Salah’s hands. Al Ittihad had initially planned to sell Moussa Diaby this summer to make room for the Egyptian on the right wing, but the club reversed course in late July, confirming they had no intention of letting the Frenchman go.

That stance has since been complicated by Diaby himself, who has pushed to leave and is reportedly in direct contact with Inter Milan over a move to Serie A, while Bayer Leverkusen — his former club — are also working to bring him back to the Bundesliga on reduced wages. Until Al Ittihad resolve Diaby’s future, Salah’s arrival remains contingent on a spot opening up in the squad.

Should the move go through, Salah would find Ronaldo waiting on the other side of the Saudi Pro League table. Ronaldo, who signed a contract extension with Al-Nassr through 2027, led the club to the Saudi Pro League title last season, and the prospect of Salah joining as a direct rival has added an extra layer of intrigue to a transfer saga that has dragged on for months.

Turkey also keeping tabs on Salah

Al Ittihad are not the only side being linked with Salah, and Turkey has re-emerged as a talking point in recent days. Trabzonspor were reported to have moved ahead of Besiktas in the race, with some Turkish outlets claiming the two sides were closing in on personal terms for a two-year deal.

However, Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan shut that down directly, stating, “there is no such agreement,” and adding that no talks had even been scheduled.

Besiktas, for their part, had already tabled an offer worth roughly €10 million net per season plus €2 million in bonuses on a 1+1-year deal, but that proposal has reportedly been shelved as talks with Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia continue to advance.