The sands of change appear to be shifting for Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool icon, long considered one of the Premier League's most devastating attackers, has taken a concrete step toward a potential move to Saudi Arabia by authorizing his agent to open transfer discussions with Al-Ittihad.

The development, first reported by CaughtOffside and corroborated by multiple outlets including FootballTransfers and Tribuna, represents a significant turning point in what has become one of the most closely watched transfer sagas in world football. Salah, whose relationship with Liverpool has reportedly soured in recent months, is now described as being significantly more open to leaving the club that transformed him into a global superstar.

At the heart of the matter lies a growing sense of frustration. Sources close to the player suggest that Salah has felt disrespected by Liverpool since December, a sentiment that has gradually eroded his once-unshakable commitment to the Merseyside club. While the precise nature of the grievance remains unclear, the consequences are now tangible: formal talks with Al-Ittihad are underway.

For Al-Ittihad, the pursuit of Salah is driven by necessity as much as ambition. The Jeddah-based club finds itself in need of marquee reinforcements following the January window departures of both Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante. Head coach Sergio Conceicao, the former Porto manager who has quickly stamped his authority on the Saudi Pro League side, has identified Salah as his primary target to fill the void left by Benzema's move to rivals Al-Hilal.

The financial dimensions of any deal would be staggering. Salah remains under contract at Liverpool until 2027, meaning Al-Ittihad cannot simply lure him away on a free transfer. Reports indicate that a fee in the region of 200 million euros would be required to prise the Egyptian away from Anfield, a figure that underscores both his enduring quality and Liverpool's strong negotiating position.

Salah's potential departure would mark the end of an era at Liverpool. Since arriving from Roma in 2017, the 33-year-old has rewritten the club's record books, becoming one of the most prolific scorers in Liverpool's storied history. His contributions were instrumental in delivering a Champions League title in 2019 and a long-awaited Premier League crown in 2020.

Yet football moves relentlessly forward, and the Saudi Pro League continues to reshape the sport's economic landscape. The league has already attracted a constellation of global stars in recent years, and adding Salah to its ranks would represent perhaps its most significant coup yet. For the Egyptian, a move to Al-Ittihad would bring him closer to home and deliver a financial package that even Liverpool's resources could not match.

The coming weeks and months will prove decisive. Liverpool will undoubtedly resist losing their prized asset without a fight, and the 200-million-euro price tag serves as a formidable barrier. But with Salah's camp now actively engaging with Al-Ittihad and the player's emotional ties to Anfield weakening, the trajectory of this story seems clear.

What remains uncertain is whether Liverpool can repair the relationship before it fractures beyond recovery, or whether the lure of a new challenge in Saudi Arabia will prove too powerful to resist. For fans at Anfield and beyond, the prospect of watching Salah in anything other than Liverpool red remains a difficult one to contemplate, but in modern football, sentiment rarely triumphs over circumstance.