Liverpool rejected an offer worth up to £150 million for Mo Salah last week from Al Ittihad but the Saudi club still has a couple of days to break Liverpool’s resilience.
The Anfield outfit have already seen several of their players join the Saudi League this summer and towards the end of the European transfer window, Al Ittihad wanted to sign the Egyptian international as well.
Last Friday, they offered a total package of £150 million but Liverpool have made it clear that Mo Salah is not up for sale. The European window might have shut down but the Saudi transfer window is open until September 7 so Klopp’s side cannot breathe easy.
A statement from the Saudi Arabia Football Association on Monday read: “As communicated to clubs Saudi Arabia on Friday June 30, the summer registration for player transfers for the Roshn Saudi League [Saudi Pro League] closes on Thursday Sept. 7.”
Will Mo Salah decide to leave Liverpool and head to the Middle East?
£150 million for a 31-year-old is a crazy amount and many pundits have urged Liverpool to take the money and spend it on reinforcements. However, Jurgen Klopp has made it clear that he has no intention of selling the winger right now.
“He didn’t tell me [if he wants to stay] but he didn’t have to,” Klopp told reporters after the game against Aston Villa.
“He speaks with his training and performances and behaviour. We had meetings this week, and the meetings were not about what we did in the past, it was about what we will do in the future.
“Mo was with the players’ [leadership] committee and had his moments where he was talking and it was nothing like ‘by the way, this is only until next week’ or whatever.”
Salah’s former teammates Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Fabinho have all moved to the Saudi league but as per the latest rumours, the Egyptian has told his teammates that he does not wish to leave this summer.
If these reports are true then it pushes Al Ittihad on the back foot. They have only three more days to pull this deal through but the main thing is that they have to convince Liverpool and all the other things should fall into place very quickly.
They were already willing to offer £150 million and there’s every chance they will return with an improved bid of around £200 million. Liverpool have been resisting a sale because they don’t have any time to find a proper replacement but it will be absolutely foolish on their part to refuse £200-odd million.
If the Premier League side allows Mo Salah to leave in the next three days then they won’t be able to bring in a replacement but this is the ideal season to take this kind of risk.
Liverpool are not in the Champions League this time around so they can go three/four months without a natural right winger. Klopp has players like Jota and Nunez at his disposal and both of them can fit in on the right wing up until the January transfer window.
The Anfield outfit have been placed in a very easy group in the Europa League and on paper, we don’t even see Mo Salah playing either of the three opponents in the coming months.
Al Ittihad have no intentions of letting go of this transfer so they will definitely come back before the 7th of September with an improved bid and if the figures are right then it will be very hard for Liverpool to turn them down.
