Mohamed Salah’s Next Club: What Shirt Number Could the Egyptian King Wear?

Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool chapter is closing. The Egyptian forward will leave Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the 2025-26 season, ending a nine-year stay that produced 255 goals and a Premier League title in 2020. With his agent saying that no destination has been settled, the obvious next question for shirt collectors is simple: which number does Salah pick up at his new club?

Salah’s identity is wrapped up in the No. 11 he wore at Roma, Liverpool and with Egypt. Whether that number is even available at the clubs chasing him is another matter entirely.

Salah is leaving Liverpool — here is what we know

Liverpool confirmed in March that Salah would depart at the end of the season, with the player agreeing to cancel the final year of a contract worth a reported £405,000 a week. The decision saves the club a sizeable chunk of payroll and frees Salah to negotiate with overseas clubs from January.

Three destinations dominate the chatter: Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, who pushed hardest in 2023 and have circled again, their rivals Al-Hilal, and a switch to Major League Soccer. British outlets have suggested an MLS move is currently the most attractive option for the family.

The case for keeping No. 11

If Salah lands at Al-Ittihad, the No. 11 shirt was last worn by Romarinho before his 2024 departure and has not been a fixed first-choice number this season. A new arrival of Salah’s profile would have a strong claim on it.

At Al-Hilal the picture is muddier. Salem Al-Dawsari, the captain and league talisman, has worn the No. 11 for years and is unlikely to surrender it without a conversation neither player would relish.

In MLS, squad numbers are far more fluid. Inter Miami, LAFC and Toronto have all rotated their No. 11 shirts in recent seasons, and clubs frequently accommodate marquee signings with their preferred number as part of the negotiation.

Shirt numbers Salah has actually worn

For all his association with No. 11, Salah’s career has been more varied than fans remember:

The Egypt No. 10 is worth flagging. Salah inherited the national-team number from Mohamed Aboutrika and has made it his own at the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifying. If No. 11 is not on the table at his next club, No. 10 would be the natural fallback.

Which number works at each rumoured destination?

Al-Ittihad

No. 11 looks gettable. Karim Benzema has the No. 9 locked down and N’Golo Kanté wears 7. A reunion with No. 11 in the green-and-black of Jeddah would be the cleanest landing for kit collectors.

Al-Hilal

Expect a compromise. With Al-Dawsari on No. 11 and Neymar’s old No. 10 currently in use, Salah might end up with something like 21 or a reissue of his old Chelsea-era 17.

Major League Soccer (Inter Miami in particular)

Lionel Messi has the No. 10 at Miami and Luis Suárez recently vacated the No. 9. The No. 11 is rotated among squad players and would almost certainly be released for a signing of Salah’s stature. A Salah-Messi front line wearing 11 and 10 is the version every kit shop would prefer.

What it means for replica shirt sales

Whichever badge Salah ends up wearing, the printed shirt will move serious volume. Liverpool’s official store sold an estimated 1.4 million Salah shirts during the 2017-18 season alone, and his free transfer means a brand-new badge arrives without the usual price suppression of an end-of-cycle move.

If you want to keep the Anfield era on a hanger before the change, browse our retro Liverpool 2008/09 third jersey, the retro 1995/96 black shirt, or the long-sleeve 2008/09 third. Training-wear collectors can pick up the Liverpool 2023/24 half-zip and pant set while it is still in stock.

FAQ

Why is Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool?

Salah agreed in March 2026 to cancel the final year of his contract and depart on a free transfer, citing the way he was treated during a difficult stretch of the season. Liverpool will redirect the saved wages towards a replacement.

What shirt number did Salah wear at Liverpool?

Salah wore the No. 11 throughout his nine seasons at Liverpool, the same number he had at Roma.

Could Salah wear the No. 10 at his next club?

Possibly. He has worn No. 10 for Egypt since 2011, so it is a familiar fallback if No. 11 is taken.

Which clubs are favourites to sign Salah?

Saudi Pro League sides Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal are leading the speculation, with an MLS move — most likely Inter Miami — described in British reports as the family’s most attractive option.

When will the new shirt go on sale?

Salah’s contract runs until the end of the 2025-26 season. A new club is unlikely to be confirmed before late June, with replica printing typically following within 48 hours of the transfer announcement.