Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool is no longer a hypothetical. He's going, and MLS wants him — badly enough that league executives have declared him off-limits to the normal discovery process, clearing a lane specifically for San Diego FC to make their pitch.
San Diego's owner, Egyptian-British billionaire Mohamed Mansour, has been publicly coy — "he will definitely be an asset," he said at last month's SBJ Business of Soccer event — while privately, his club is working through the considerable obstacles standing between a conversation and a signed contract. The Saudi Pro League, with Al Nassr reportedly leading the charge, is expected to put a financial offer on the table that San Diego simply cannot match dollar for dollar. So the pitch would have to look more like Messi's at Inter Miami: equity in the club, a percentage stake in Right to Dream Egypt — Mansour's academy network across Africa and the U.S. — and a legacy play that goes beyond wages.
It's creative. Whether it's convincing enough is another matter. Salah is 32, at the absolute peak of his market value, and the Saudi league has already proven it can lure elite players in their prime. San Diego would also need to untangle its Hirving Lozano situation first — the Mexican winger is owed $7.63 million in guaranteed compensation, has refused to move, and occupies a roster spot that a Salah deal would almost certainly require. None of this is impossible. None of it is easy either.
Neymar to Cincinnati Is Still Moving
Talks between FC Cincinnati and Neymar's camp are ongoing and progressing, per sources briefed on the situation. Neymar, 34, has played 90 minutes in each of his last five Santos appearances — a deliberate fitness showcase aimed at Carlo Ancelotti, who'll decide whether he makes Brazil's World Cup squad. Four goals and three assists in 854 minutes this season. Not the 2017 version. Functional, though.
The timeline is the complication. Cincinnati's three designated players — Evander, Kévin Denkey, and Miles Robinson — are all contracted and can't simply be moved on short notice. Denkey has European interest, Real Betis among those who've reached out, but Cincy wants north of $20 million to open talks. He joined for a club-record $16.1 million less than a year ago, so that's not an unreasonable floor. If a Neymar deal happens before January, when his Santos contract expires naturally, something has to give on the roster.
Both Inter Miami and the LA Galaxy are also in the Neymar conversation, which tells you how seriously MLS clubs are approaching this summer.
Casemiro, Lewandowski, and the Deal That Probably Isn't Happening
The Galaxy hold discovery rights on Casemiro, whose Manchester United contract expires in June, which technically puts them first in line. Inter Miami hasn't stopped pushing regardless. Neither club has an open designated player slot right now, but both have the cap creativity — the Galaxy pulled it with Ibrahimović, Miami did it with Jordi Alba and Rodrigo De Paul — to structure a deal that works on paper. Casemiro at 33, coming off a rough stretch at United, would immediately be among the top five midfielders in the league.
Lewandowski to Chicago was real at some point. Sources now say it's unlikely, partly because the Fire's priorities have shifted, partly because Lewandowski's Barcelona future — while murky — still involves options in Spain and Serie A. He turns 38 in August, has four La Liga goals in 2026, and told The Athletic last month he isn't "even 50 percent sure" which way he wants to go. Chicago, for their part, has Hugo Cuypers scoring six goals in five games this season. The Fire aren't desperate.
The one deal almost certainly not happening: Bernardo Silva to NYCFC. The Portugal midfielder is leaving Manchester City this summer, NYCFC would love to have him given the City Football Group connection, but sources say Silva isn't focused on MLS. He's 31, in his prime, and has no shortage of elite European clubs interested. NYCFC's new stadium opens in 2027 — that's when the real star recruitment push likely begins.
- Salah to San Diego FC — Active pursuit, major obstacles (Saudi money, Lozano contract, roster construction)
- Neymar to FC Cincinnati — Talks progressing, roster slot needed before a summer move is possible
- Casemiro to LA Galaxy — Galaxy in pole position via discovery rights; Miami still pushing
- Lewandowski to Chicago Fire — Unlikely now; Fire have moved on
- Bernardo Silva to NYCFC — Player not interested at this stage
MLS commissioner Don Garber said publicly that Salah "would be a great player in MLS" the moment Liverpool confirmed the departure. That's the league putting its intentions on record. Whether any of these deals close is a different question — but the ambition is no longer pretend.
