It is easy to understand why Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad is si desperate to sign Liverpool winger Mo Salah. He’s not just a superstar scoring sensation; he’s also the biggest name Middle Eastern born footballer on Earth. Having the Egyptian international back in the Middle East, this time on the Saudi Arabian peninsula, would truly be as box office as it gets.
According to reports, a delegation from the club is back in London to make one final offer, of £200m, for the player. This comes after a £150m bid has already been turned down.
Fabrizio Romano on Mo Salah ??
“My expectation is probably for Saudi sides to return in 2024. In that moment I think that it’s going to be really dangerous because they can return have more time to convince the club and there is even more time for #LFC to replace Mo Salah -… pic.twitter.com/dr1XMkMJbr
— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) September 4, 2023
While the summer transfer window closed in England, and in most of the big European leagues on Friday, it remains open in Saudi Arabia until Thursday. The Daily Mail writes that “the Saudi camp say they may draw a line and switch targets if there is no semblance of joy by Tuesday.”
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp maintain their stance: Mo Salah is not for sale, at any price, and he is very happy at the Merseyside club.
I never had any doubt about his commitment,” Klopp said of the 2022 PFA Player of the Year.
“He is our player and wants to play here.” It is easy to see why Klopp has publicly hit out at the Saudi transfer window, and what a threat it is to the European clubs, this summer.
And that was before a transfer narrative like this hit home. It is not expected that the offer will be accepted, but you never know- 200 million GBP really tests LFC’s resolve.
If Mo Salah were to actually make the switch to Al-Ittihad, he would join up with fellow former big five European league stars Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante. He would also reunite with former teammate Fabinho
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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