When Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah ends his run with the Premier League club at the end of this season, he’ll have his pick of teams courting him for his services.
But as of now, New York City FC has not touched base with the Egyptian international about making the Big Apple his new home, club CEO Brad Sims told reporters in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Salah and Liverpool announced earlier this week that the two sides will part ways at the end of the year, ending his contract with the club a year early and allowing him to become a free agent.
“I would love to have Mo Salah. We have not had any discussions with him or his people,” Sims said after the SBJ Business of Soccer conference, according to Give Me Sport. “What is most important is does the player want to come to MLS and be in New York City. We are not going to go out and sell someone on New York, the league or our club. We want players who really want to be here.”
Earlier in the day, The Athletic named New York City FC as a possible destination for Salah, with a source telling the outlet that they wouldn’t rule out the MLS side making a push for him with the opening of their new stadium looming.
Fittingly enough, the report came out on the same day that NYCFC celebrated the topping off of their new stadium, a construction milestone that signified the end of the construction of Etihad Park’s structural frame.
Sims also said on Wednesday that he didn’t think the club needed to sign a big name for the new stadium. New York City FC is set to begin play at Etihad Park in the summer of 2027.
“Would it be helpful? Of course,” he said, according to The Athletic. “I think the direction the league is going in is really exciting, with the change in calendar aligning with the top leagues in the world. That will bring more opportunity and more interest in major signings across the league.
“So, is it a non-negotiable? Do we absolutely need it? In my opinion, no. Will it help take our club to the next level? Yes.”
The NYCFC CEO did warn people that there’s a lot that goes into the players that the club brings in, which is in line with comments that he had made previously, and ones that sporting director Todd Dunivant had made to The Post in January.
Sims insisted that the club needed “the guys who are going to be the hardest trainers, good teammates and good for the locker room and the culture.”
The Athletic also reported Wednesday that San Diego FC are not in the picture to make a play for Salah and the Chicago Fire are not focusing on a move for Salah for the summer transfer window.
MLS commissioner Don Garber raved about the idea of Salah playing in MLS, saying that the league “would provide him with a great platform.”