Aiming to entice Mohamed Salah to the Middle East, ambitious Saudi Pro League clubs will wait until the summer to make another attempt.
The 31-year-old Liverpool talisman attracted a lot of attention from Saudi Arabia during the summer, and the Reds turned down a substantial £150 million bid from Al-Ittihad. And even though the Saudi champions were unable to come back with a stronger offer, Salah’s services continue to be in high demand.
Salah still has 18 months left on his current contract, so it’s unclear if any more offers will come in January. But at the conclusion of the season, Liverpool’s resolve to hang on to their lucky charm is expected to be put to the test.
Salah is currently not likely to leave Anfield during the winter transfer window, according to a fresh claim from Sky Sports, but Saudi Arabian clubs “will not stop” until they get the Egyptian attacker.
Although it seems improbable that the Premier League leaders would allow their talisman to leave in the middle of the season, they might find it difficult to reject big bids for a player who will only have a year left on his contract in the summer of 2024.
In September, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher stated that all three parties would benefit from a massive summer transfer. At the time, there were rumours that Al-Ittihad was preparing a massive £200 million bid for the forward’s services before the Saudi Arabian transfer deadline.
In the past, he stated to talkSPORT: “His contract will expire soon. The general consensus among Liverpool fans, in my opinion, is that we have him for one more season rather than that he is done for good and that there is no possibility of replacing him.
“It almost feels like next summer for everyone involved; Salah would still be with Liverpool for this season and have the opportunity to have even more success, and Liverpool would still receive a sizable transfer fee.”
“Liverpool would have a full year to consider potential successors, should any exist.” Players of that calibre are hard to replace; therefore, you have to try to use the money to upgrade a few places. It’s necessary to move on sometimes because great players come and go.”
