Sporting Kansas City has taken the early lead in the race to sign Mohamed Salah in Major League Soccer this summer, sources tell The Athletic. The 34-year-old forward is open to leaving Europe after his nine-year stint at Liverpool ended in March.

What’s happening with Mohamed Salah?

Salah’s future is in flux after Egypt’s World Cup exit on July 7, 2026, a 2-1 round-of-16 loss to Argentina. The Egyptian star had a down year at Liverpool in 2025-26, managing just seven goals and seven assists in 2,150 Premier League minutes. That followed a career-best 2024-25 season where he fired 29 goals and 18 assists in 3,380 league minutes to help Liverpool win the title.

Why Sporting KC is in pole position

Sporting KC sits ahead of other MLS clubs thanks to its new majority owner, Peter Mallouk, whose Egyptian heritage ties directly to Salah’s roots. The club is also chasing two other high-profile wingers: Toulouse’s Yann Gboho and Olympiacos’ Andre Luiz. Negotiations for Luiz are further along, with a potential fee around $18-20 million—among the priciest in league history.

Gboho, 25, just wrapped up his best season with 10 goals and three assists in 35 appearances across all competitions. Luiz, 24, joined Olympiacos in January for about $7 million but could fetch nearly triple that if Sporting KC lands him. The Brazilian left-footed winger had seven goals and six assists in 1,501 minutes for Rio Ave FC in Portugal earlier this year.

What this means for Sporting KC’s summer

Sporting KC is in its first season under new chief soccer officer David Lee and a restructured front office after Peter Vermes stepped down. The club sits 15th in MLS with 11 points from 14 games, three wins, two draws, and nine losses, on a recent run of LWWLD form. The team is 21 points behind league leaders Vancouver Whitecaps and aims to close that gap with a spending spree.

“Promises made will be promises kept,” Mallouk wrote on X on July 10, 2026. “Lots of conversations happening. One way or another, this team will be significantly better in the second half, much better by the sprint season.”

Next steps for the club

Sporting KC’s transfer activity reflects its push to compete immediately. With Salah’s European future uncertain, MLS remains a viable option if he opts for a new challenge. The club’s pursuit of Luiz and Gboho shows it’s willing to spend big to upgrade the roster mid-season.

League standing: 15th in Major League Soccer, 11 pts, 3W-2D-9L from 14 games, recent form LWWLD. Goals this season: 14 scored, 36 conceded (-22 goal difference).