Al-Ittihad are preparing to launch a world-record £215m bid for Mohamed Salah to give Liverpool’s resolve one final test.
The Saudi Pro League transfer window closes on Thursday, which sources based in the Middle East believe gives the club “plenty of time” to still get a deal done for the most famous Arab player in history.
Liverpool remain adamant Salah is not for sale, at any price, which is why they rejected last week’s £150m offer out of hand.
Sources said, however, that £215m, after add-ons have been taken into account, is an offer that nobody can flat out refuse without at least considering what can be done when reinvesting such funds.
A Public Investment Fund (PIF) delegation, who own Al-Ittihad, have been in London since last week trying to broker more deals to further enhance the breathtaking rate with which the burgeoning league is growing.
They will stay in the UK as they prepare one final attempt to prise Salah from Liverpool’s grasp.
Salah had supporters flustered earlier this week after posting a photograph on social media of him celebrating his goal against Aston Villa at Anfield on Sunday, but without adding a caption. What did it mean?
Saudi sources believe that Salah would at least want to hear Al-Ittihad out. They insist that any Arab player would want the adulation that the Egyptian would receive, with the unprecedented riches on offer an additional bonus.
There is no immediate insistence from the player’s side that he wants any Anfield exit now. His agent tried to quieten speculation last month by questioning why, if his star client did want a move away from Merseyside, would he have signed a record-breaking contract to extend his Liverpool stay last summer.
While no new signings can be brought in until January, Liverpool have already showed this season they have the tools to be able to cope without their 31-year-old talisman, at least until January.
Having slowly acclimatised to life in England, Darwin Nunez is looking every inch a £70m hitman, with two goals already to his name this term. Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are back from lengthy injury layoffs and firing on all cylinders, while Cody Gakpo is blossoming into the versatile forward Jurgen Klopp always imagined he would be.
Klopp would take some convincing that £215m is more useful to the club than the club-high goal return Salah has provided. The German again insisted after the Villa win that he is calm about the situation.
But only one club in history has ever had to even consider an offer of such value before, and with Salah being 31, even if Al-Ittihad come back in for their top target next summer, which they will do if not successful this time around, will the offer be as enticing in a year’s time?
We are about to find out if the club’s hierarchy, against the manager and majority of the club’s fanbase’s wishes, are thinking the same.
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