Liverpool has a decision to make over Mo Salah’s future with Al-Ittihad willing to pay up to £130m with a £170m-per-year contract.
Mo Salah is at the heart of interest from the Saudi side as they attempt to convince him to become the latest big name to move to the Gulf state. They have already expressed their intent to make him the highest-paid player in the Saudi Pro League.
Liverpool remain firm in their stance that Salah is simply not for sale, particularly with only limited time to find a replacement. Al-Ittihad are doing all they can to tempt the Anfield giants into selling.
The Saudi side is willing to offer Liverpool €150m (£130m) for Salah’s services. It is suggested that up to €100m (£89m) of that would be a guaranteed fee, whilst there are add-ons that could see that offer increase.
Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad are hoping to convince Salah to push for a move away from Anfield. They are set to offer him a contract worth around £170m per season – which would see him earn around the same as Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Hilal star Neymar.
Salah still has two years left to run on the new contract that he signed at Anfield only 12 months ago. Jurgen Klopp has already firmly stated that Liverpool will not be tempted into selling his star forward no matter what the offer.
Speaking ahead of his side’s dramatic win over Newcastle at the weekend, the German coach said: “It’s difficult to talk about media stories. There’s nothing to talk about from our point of view. We don’t have an offer”.
“Mo Salah is a Liverpool player and is essential to all the things we do. There’s nothing there, if there was something, the answer would be no.”
Despite that stance, it appears that Al-Ittihad have offered close to a fee that the Reds would deem acceptable for Salah, according to former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher. Asked how much it would take for the club to consider selling, he replied: “I think it’d have to be over £150m.
“I’m not saying he’s worth that right now at his age but I don’t think £100m; you’re not replacing Mo Salah for £100m. If they offered a crazy figure but as I said it is so late in the window.
“If it was earlier – maybe they might think about it because that is the model that they’ve had in the past but I don’t think Mo Salah is going anywhere.”