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Mohamed Mansour has spent three years building San Diego FC into one of Major League Soccer's most ambitious projects. The club's biggest potential signing may now be a fellow Egyptian.
San Diego FC has moved to the front of the conversation around Mohamed Salah's next destination, after the Egyptian forward confirmed on March 24 that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season, closing a nine-year chapter at one of football's most storied clubs. Salah, 33, posted a video on his social media accounts announcing his departure. Liverpool issued a statement the same day confirming the two parties had reached an agreement, with a formal farewell at Anfield scheduled for later in the year. The announcement caught many by surprise. Salah had signed a new contract with the club as recently as April 2025, making this an early exit from that deal rather than a simple expiry at season's end.
San Diego FC, the Major League Soccer club founded and chaired by Egyptian-British billionaire Mohamed Mansour, has long been associated with an interest in Salah. CBS Sports reported that the club has sounded out the possibility of a move in the past and remains a realistic option. San Diego can accommodate Salah through a Designated Player slot, a league mechanism that allows clubs to sign one player at wages above the standard salary budget. The club, now in its second MLS season after a debut in 2025, has the financial backing and roster flexibility to make a move of that scale. Mansour paid a then-record $500 million expansion fee to bring the franchise into MLS in 2023, and has since invested heavily in a Right to Dream Academy on tribal land in El Cajon as part of a long-term institution-building strategy.
Al-Hilal of the Saudi Pro League remain the most financially aggressive suitors. Reports have placed a package worth around $200 million per year on the table for Salah in the Gulf. Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have also been named as potential European options for a player who may still want Champions League football. Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas, confirmed his client had not yet made a decision on his next destination.
Salah departs Liverpool as the club's all-time leading scorer, with 255 goals in 435 appearances. His trophy haul at Anfield spans two Premier League titles, a Champions League, a FIFA Club World Cup, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. He collected the PFA Players' Player of the Year award for a record third time in 2025 and was the driving force behind Liverpool's title-winning campaign that year, contributing 29 goals and 18 assists.
