Full Breakdown
Sporting Kansas City Leads Mohamed Salah Transfer Chase
7/11/2026, 12:33:34 AM
Salah’s Recent Form and World Cup Elimination
Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, 34, announced in March that he will leave Liverpool after a nine-year tenure. The 2025-26 Premier League season was disappointing for the former champion, yielding seven goals and seven assists in 2,150 minutes, a sharp decline from his 2024-25 title-winning campaign (29 goals, 18 assists in 3,380 minutes). Salah’s club future entered sharper focus after Egypt’s round-of-16 loss to Argentina on July 7, 2026, ending the nation’s World Cup run three days before the transfer window opened. Sources say Salah prefers to remain in Europe but is “open to a move to MLS” while weighing his options.
SKC’s Organizational Overhaul and Transfer Targets
Sporting Kansas City (SKC) is in the first season of a new era following the departure of longtime chief soccer officer and head coach Peter Vermes and a change in majority ownership. New chief soccer officer David Lee and head coach Rapha Wicky are reshaping the roster after a slow start that left the club bottom of the Western Conference with 11 points after 14 matches. The team currently holds two Designated Player slots (Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia) and can add a third this summer.
Official Comments and Club Intentions
Sources briefed on the situation tell The Athletic that SKC has emerged as the “top suitor” for Salah, positioning the club ahead of other MLS interests despite heavy competition from the Saudi Pro League. New majority owner Peter Mallouk, the son of Egyptian immigrants, is cited as driving the club’s ambition to spend more and elevate its competitive standing. While no formal offer has been disclosed, SKC is also negotiating for Toulouse winger Yann Gboho (reported $18-20 million fee) and Olympiakos left-footed Brazilian Andre Luiz, whose talks are described as “further advanced” than Gboho’s.
Data Summary
- Salah: 7 goals, 7 assists, 2,150 Premier League minutes (2025-26).
- Gboho (25): 10 goals, 3 assists in 35 appearances; former France youth international, seeking to represent Ivory Coast.
- Luiz (24): 7 goals, 6 assists in 1,501 minutes for Rio Ave FC; Olympiakos fee $7 million, potential MLS fee near $20 million.
- SKC: 11 points after 14 MLS matches, bottom of Western Conference; two DPs, possible third slot.
The club’s aggressive summer strategy aims to transform a struggling roster into a “significantly better” side for the second half of the MLS season.
