Just before the European transfer market closed, Saudi Arabia once again went on the offensive against Liverpool. It was reported that Al-Ittihad was very interested in Egyptian international Mohamed Salah and made an offer reportedly totaling £150 million.
However, Liverpool’s stance has not changed. The Egyptian King is not for sale, and at the very least, a transfer this summer is unlikely, as Jurgen Klopp has made a tacit appeal to the media.
Nevertheless, the Middle Eastern club has not given up and is also preparing a second offer of £200 million before the Saudi Arabian Pro League transfer deadline of September 7.
As for the Mohamed Salah transfer rumors, former Irish midfielder Jason McAteer, who made over 100 appearances for Liverpool during his playing days, argued that the 31-year-old striker, who is under contract until 2025, the club cannot refuse an offer in excess of £200 million
“I’ve read all the papers, and as much as Jurgen Klopp wants to bang the door and say he’s not for sale, everything’s got a price in life.”
“If they come knocking with 200-250 million, the owners, I just don’t think they can turn that kind of money down for a 31 year old who is in the last two years of this contract.”
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With no room to find a successor, it would be the worst decision an owner could make to let go of the team’s ace. The heat from Saudi Arabia has not waned, leaving open the possibility that they will eagerly recruit him next summer, and selling him at that time should yield a reasonable sum of money.
Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and Roberto Firmino have left Liverpool for a new home in Saudi Arabia, and a number of other star players have decided to go to the Middle East. He also mentioned this trend and said that he had taken it by surprise.
“Everyone’s been caught by surprise,”
“I think they’ve seen it coming but I don’t think they realised how aggressive the Saudi League was going to be.
“They’ve been left to their own devices. And all of a sudden everyone sat up and thought, “this is the real deal”. It’s more sustainable than what China had when they tried to do it. There’s a lot of money being thrown around. They’re making massive statements in the world of football.”
“And it all came very, very quickly. And in that sense, I don’t think anyone’s sat down and quite realised that they’ve still got five or six days longer than the Premier League and all the European leagues to delve into the market. So it’s left everyone worried. Now the event is here because they can still take whatever they want.”
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