26/03/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | MAR 26, 2026

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/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

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One last hurrah Carragher predicts fairytale farewell for Salah in Budapest

Five clubs Liverpool legend could join after Anfield exit MOHAMED SALAH is leaving Liverpool after a leg endary nine seasons at the club. Salah, the third-highest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history, has confirmed he will bid farewell to Anfield at the end of the campaign, where he won two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Club World Cup. His departure comes less than a year after he penned a two-year contract extension which kept him at the club beyond a sensational 2024/25 sea son, which saw him equal the Premier League record for goal involvements in a single term as Liverpool topped the table. But after a huge drop-off in form this term – net ting just five League goals in 22 matches – the 33 year-old Egyptian will seek pastures new in the summer. Here’s where he could end up: SAUDI ARABIA The obvious option for Salah would be to finally complete his touted “dream move” to Saudi Arabia - and while any of the state-owned clubs – includ ing Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli – could theoreti cally put in a bid for the Egyptian, the odds favour Al-Ittihad, who have a historic interest in the player. They put in a late £150 million (RM780m) bid for the winger at the end of the 2023 summer transfer win dow, which the Reds rejected. Now looks like the perfect time to reignite their interest, with the player set to be available as a free agent. MLS Salah could alternatively choose the more tradi tional route for ageing players and make a move to MLS – which is currently seen as the most attractive choice. Inter Miami would be a very realistic desti nation given their proven ability to attractive worldbeaters, with Salah potentially set to join duo Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in seeing out their career on American soil. But David Beckham’s club aren’t the only side with pulling power. Antoine Griezmann just made the move to Orlando City – their biggest signing since Kaka a decade ago – after the likes of Son Heung-min and Thomas Muller moved to LAFC and the Vancouver Whitecaps respectively last year. After he captains Egypt stateside at this year’s World Cup, could Salah be the next US-bound superstar? PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN Salah is not necessarily nailed on to move to a so-called “retirement league”, with his desire to keep playing at the top level of football previously being a key reason why he chose not to move to Saudi Arabia those years ago. If that’s still the case, PSG would have the funds to accommodate his undoubtedly eye-watering wage demands and could be a potential suitor. REAL MADRID La Liga juggernauts Real Madrid are another team who have long been linked with a move for Salah, rumours that came about mainly during his prime. Saying that, there were tenuous reports as recently as this January that claimed Salah had “offered” to the club in the wake of an injury sus tained by Kylian Mbappe. There is almost certainly not even a grain of substance to this specific rumour – but maybe, on a free, Real could see value in a move in the coming months. INTER MILAN Alternatively, Salah could return to an old stomping grounds of sorts, having rebuilt his name in Italy’s top-flight with Fiorentina and Roma after his failed Chelsea move. Inter Milan are the top dogs in Serie A at the moment but Napoli have shown they can house ageing Premier League icons, with Kevin De Bruyne flourishing at the club this season. – The Independent Ű BY WILL CASTLE

Ű BY RORY DOLLARD

J AMIE CARRAGHER believes Liverpool can deliver Mohammed Salah a “perfect send off” and a Champions League winners’ medal but worries that English football may struggle to replace his star quality. News of Salah’s exit at the end of the season broke out of the blue yesterday, signalling the end of an illustrious nine-year partnership between the Egyptian and the Anfield club. With 255 goals in 435 appearances, the 33 year-old will depart as the club’s third highest goalscorer behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt. Former Reds stalwart Carragher ranks him among the very best to have worn the shirt and tipped the possibility of a fairytale final chapter on the European stage. “The timing of yesterday’s announcement strikes me as both perfect and clever. Confirming his intentions now guarantees the kind of emotional, grand farewell that a player of his standing deserves,” Carragher wrote in the Daily Telegraph . “While I will celebrate his career, I have no wish to be part of a grand Anfield farewell after the club’s final Premier League fixture in May. Every Liverpool fan has something far better and more dramatic in mind. “Knowing Salah’s mindset and competitive spirit, he will be setting his sights on the greatest of all possible goodbyes a week later: inspiring his team to victory in the Champions League

people could take note. You have pushed your self every single day and always demanded more from yourself and others. A pleasure shar ing the pitch with you for so long but even more so being able to call you a friend. “You deserve a send-off that reflects your status at LFC – the greatest. Second to none.” The exact circumstances behind the decision have yet to be revealed, with the role of manager Arne Slot unclear, but former Liverpool player Stephen Warnock has suggested the Dutchman could find himself following Salah out of the club if results go badly in the coming weeks. “Do they have a replacement now in the squad? No they don’t, absolutely not,” he told BBC Radio Five Live . “Whether it’s Arne Slot or a new manager (who has to find one), we’ll have to wait and see. That’s another thing that’s up for debate. “If Liverpool crash out of the Champions League to Paris St Germain in the next few weeks and they don’t win against Manchester City in the FA Cup, suddenly things look a lot bleaker. “It won’t just be Mohamed Salah they’re looking for a replacement for, it will be the man ager.” – The Independent

final in Budapest. Do not bet against the perfect send off.” The former England defender also feels that Salah will leave a huge void well beyond Merseyside. “Liverpool’s loss is English football’s loss. It means the Premier League will soon be deprived of another world-class, generational talent. “Following Kevin De Bruyne’s exit from Manchester City just last season, Salah’s Anfield farewell brings down the curtain on another career in this country which has illuminated our stadiums. Until others step up to fill the huge void, we may risk suffering a ‘superstar famine.’” Salah’s teammate Andy Robertson, who signed for the club in the same transfer window in 2017, led the dressing room tributes. Posting on Instagram , the Scotland interna tional wrote: “Mohamed, thank you. “Nine of the best years of our lives with amaz ing memories on and off the pitch. Watching you become the best at what you do and become one of the best to ever have worn the Liverpool shirt has been a joy to watch and be part of. “Your mentality is second to none and a lot of

Wazza feels sorry for Foden Ű BY WILL CASTLE

to get him on the pitch.” The 25-year-old, who was the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2023/24, has made just four starts in City’s last 13 matches in all competitions and is without a goal since mid-December. Foden spoke on the “ups and downs” a footballer can go through following City’s win on the weekend, pledging to get “back to where I was at the start of the season”. And while he has been included in Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man squad for the March internationals, there are question marks over whether he will make the cut for a more trimmed down World Cup squad this summer. “I don’t know what has hap pened, he is a top player. It feels strange he can’t get anywhere near the team. It feels like something has gone on there,” Rooney added. “I thought Foden was in good form but all of a sudden we haven’t seen him get any minutes. Firstly he will be pleased they won the cup but from a selfish point of view, he would have wanted to be out there and having an influence. That will be a tough one for him.” – The Independent

WAYNE ROONEY has admitted he feels sorry for Phil Foden after the Manchester City midfielder made a “charity sub” cameo in the Carabao Cup final. Foden was brought off the bench in the 90th minute of City’s triumph over Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday, entering the fray with Pep Guardiola’s side cruising at 2-0 with the trophy in the bag. He replaced Rayan Cherki who has been preferred to the Englishman in recent weeks, while the January arrival of Antoine Semenyo has also seen Foden fall down the pecking order. Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show , the former Manchester United forward said:“I felt sad for him but not sad because he is coming on in a cup final. “There was a game a few days ago when he didn’t even get on the pitch. If that was Max Dowman com ing on at the end, you would think good experience. “But to see Phil Foden coming on in a cup final, it felt like a charity sub

Phil Foden trains at St George’s Park yesterday ahead of England friendlies. – AFPPIC

PSG boss Enrique shoots down favourites tag PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN MANAGER Luis Enrique reckons there’s no clear favourite head ing into his team’s forthcoming Champions League encounter with Liverpool. shootout, reports the Liverpool Echo . He said: “Liverpool holds good memories for us, of course. I remember last year. Liverpool were the best team in Europe at that stage; they were playing incredible football.

any momentum built in Europe and carrying that into their remaining League and cup encounters. Speaking ahead of the Brighton loss to club media, the 22 year old said:“It will be very impor tant for us, also for our mind and also for the spirit in the team that we just create momentum and also an energy that we can win all the games now. “It’s always good to have a better feeling and also a better atmosphere in the changing room because when you don’t win the team is not really happy. “So, it’s always better to win and of course we need the points as well so we will be ready for the game and try to take the three points home.” – Express Newspaper

The Reds secured their quarterfinal spot after demolishing Turkish outfit Galatasaray 4-0 last Wednesday (4-1 on aggregate). Arne Slot’s squad have endured a torrid time in the Premier League this campaign, with Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion leaving the defend ing champions languishing in fifth place. Despite Liverpool’s domestic woes this cam paign, Enrique cannot distinguish between the two clubs when quizzed about the last eight showdown. Both teams clashed in the round of 16 last season, with PSG edging through via a penalty

“We’re looking forward to this quarterfinal, first in Paris, then in Liverpool. I’m fortunate to have an incredible team and intelligent players. They know that in this type of game, there are no favorites. It’ll be very positive for us to play these two games.” Liverpool also have an opportunity to secure domestic silverware with Slot’s squad facing Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals – four days prior to the opening leg against PSG. And attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz has emphasised the significance of capitalising on