Al-Ittihad's management is studying the possibility of reopening the file for signing Egyptian star Mohamed Salah to the first football team, after some parties within the club became convinced of the feasibility of studying this file due to the television viewership criterion recently introduced by the Saudi Professional League, which has become one of the influential factors in evaluating foreign signings with fan and marketing impact, in addition to the technical benefit criterion for the team, as explained to Al-Riyadiyah by private sources. The Ittihad administration had previously set specific criteria and strategy for new signings, which do not fully apply to Salah, but they do not oppose the idea of signing him if the required financial conditions are met and the deal does not affect the club's allocations.

In the same context, other sources indicated that the likelihood of Salah moving to Ittihad in the near future seems slim so far. Other sources noted that English club Aston Villa, chaired and led by its Egyptian majority owner Nassef Sawiris, has initiated early contacts with Salah.

Salah began his career at El Mokawloon in Egypt and has a vast European experience with Basel in Switzerland, Chelsea in England, Fiorentina and Roma in Italy, before settling in England in 2017 with Liverpool, where he achieved great successes, including two English Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League title. Salah played 328 matches in the English Premier League, scoring 193 goals and providing 95 assists, and overall, the Egyptian striker played 694 matches in his club career, scoring 334 goals and providing 171 assists.