What next after World Cup? Club football transfer window takes centre stage

With the FIFA World Cup ۲۰۲۶ now finished, club football managers around the globe are trying to finalise their transfer plans, with supporters lapping up all the rumours and speculation.

One name dominates the headlines, though: Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian forward was in the spotlight at the World Cup, where his team exited in the round of ۱۶ following a defeat by Argentina, but all attention will now turn to his club career as he is on the move following his departure from Liverpool.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at where the ۳۱-year-old could be heading next.

Is Salah joining Besiktas?

The rumour mill is in full flow, and there are a plethora of options for the former Liverpool star.

A move to Turkiye has been mooted, and Besiktas are believed to be leading the candidates. If social media reports are to be believed, a verbal agreement has already been reached.

A fourth-placed finish last season in the Turkish league has heaped pressure on the club officials to improve results, and Salah’s signing would be seen as the perfect tonic on and off the field.

Europa League football awaits this season for the Istanbul-based club, and their campaign begins on Thursday with a qualifier against Danish club Midtjylland.

Could Salah move to the MLS or Saudi Arabia’s Pro League?

A stay in Europe would be the primary option for Salah, should he wish to continue to challenge his game at the highest level.

A move to Saudi Arabia has long been in the news cycle. It would be seen as a huge coup for the Saudi Pro League, especially given Salah’s status as the greatest player to not only come out of the Middle East but also as Africa’s finest.

The other competition that would dearly love Salah to become their poster boy is the MLS (Major League Soccer) in the United States.

Lionel Messi remains their star turn, but with the failure of Argentina at the World Cup, there will be speculation that the ۳۹-year-old may not only call time on his international playing days but also his club career.

Salah’s stock rises as an off-pitch class act?

Salah’s appeal extends well beyond his skill on the flank. The magical left foot is complemented by the grace he also has off the field of play.

The Egyptian earned huge credit for pulling his teammate away from confrontations with officials and opponents after the defeat by Argentina.

Salah enjoys a large following and is counted among the biggest icons of his generation across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.

Marketeers and financiers will be rubbing their hands together in whichever part of the world Salah ends up.

Who replaces Salah at Liverpool?

Alongside the question of where Salah ends up is the problem of who will replace him at Liverpool.

New manager Andoni Iraola has acknowledged the huge challenge he has in trying to find a player who can have the impact the Champions League and two-time Premier League winner, Salah, had at Anfield.

Two of the names at the top of the list are Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, but Iraola has indicated that he will not seek an immediate replacement so as not to draw comparisons, thereby heaping pressure on any new arrival.

Did Salah reject Saudi Arabia?

This much is not clear as of yet, but the link has been there for some time between Salah and the Saudi Pro League.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) said it would do “whatever it can” to recruit Salah when it became clear that he was unsettled at Liverpool following a fallout with the club’s then-manager Arne Slot.

Now that the player is a free agent, the Saudi Pro League will surely be scrambling to secure his signature.

Is Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford next in line for a move?

The most anticipated move of the summer is that of Marcus Rashford.

Loaned from Manchester United to Barcelona last season, the forward saw a dramatic improvement in fortunes and helped the Catalan giant to their second La Liga title in as many seasons.

It earned him a recall to the England side, and he was thereafter named in their World Cup squad.

Barcelona, however, appear to have rejected the chance to sign Rashford at the pre-agreed price that was part of the loan agreement.

The ۲۸-year-old has now returned to Old Trafford for preseason, while negotiations are ongoing as to whether United will lower their asking price from what was set when last season’s move was agreed.

Paris Saint-Germain have long been linked as suitors for Rashford, but the Champions League holders have a plethora of talent on the flanks, so much so that Barcola has been linked with a move away to find first-team football.

Could Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe leave Real Madrid?

Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe have both been linked with moves away from Real Madrid, but the arrival of Jose Mourinho as manager will surely change that.

Mourinho, returning for his second spell in charge of Los Blancos, will not want to lose the record scorer in World Cup history as he seeks to turn the fortunes of the Madrid-based club.

Similarly, Bellingham stole the show in leading England to the semifinals of the ۲۰۲۶ World Cup, and Mourinho will be eager to see the midfielder return to his influential role of pulling the strings in the centre of the park.

Is Jamal Musiala moving and could Julian Alvarez be Barcelona-bound?

One player that could be moving to Real, though, is Jamal Musiala.

The Bayern Munich winger is seen as a potential foil for Brazil’s Vinicius Junior on the other flank. It would create quite the front three, but Galatasaray may have stolen a march on the ۲۳-year-old, who had only signed a new contract in ۲۰۲۵ with the German giants.

Julian Alvarez could be one player leaving Madrid – from Atletico, not Real – and Barcelona could be the destination.

The ۲۶-year-old made a surprise move from Manchester City to Madrid, in that it was a shock that City let the forward leave in ۲۰۲۵.

Arsenal have also been linked with a move for the Argentinian international, and he seems the most likely of the big names – away from Salah and Rashford – that could still be snapped up before the new season begins.