Liverpool rebuffed an eye-watering offer from Al-Ittihad on Friday, but the Saudi club still have time on their side to complete the blockbuster Mohamed Salah aquisition
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Jurgen Klopp dismisses Mohamed Salah transfer talk
Jurgen Klopp is hoping the Liverpool owners hold their nerve and reject a staggering £200million offer for Mo Salah.
He knows that the Fenway Sports Group believe that selling a 31-year-old player for a world record fee despite his status at Anfield represents good financial business.
Having rejected Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad’s opening £150m offer there is growing confidence amongst the Middle East hierarchy that an increased bid could be accepted by the Merseyside club.
That would leave Klopp frustrated having had no time to bring in an adequate replacement for his goalscoring winger.
With the Saudi transfer window not closing until Thursday but business done in this country Liverpool ’s challenge for the Premier League title would be severely handicapped with Salah’s departure.
And although there have been no protests from the player over the club’s stance he has told close friends that he is being tempted by the promise of a stunning wage packet worth £1.5m a week and the chance to become the poster boy of his native Middle East.
Klopp wants Salah to stay for one more season and make the inevitable move to super rich Saudi Arabia next summer. But Klopp has been forced to bow to FSG’s business arm on a number of occasions in the past few seasons regarding signings and departures.
Mo Salah was the subject of a whopping bid from Al-Ittihad on deadline day (
Image:
Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The concern for him is that there is a policy of bringing in younger players with a sell on potential while clearing the decks of players who are 30 plus. It’s why Salah remains vulnerable to a last gasp grab by Al-Ittihad who have money to burn and won’t take no for an answer.
Kop legend Jamie Carragher told his former club they would be foolish not to entertain the massive offer, despite the risk of losing their talisman. “When you look at what Harry Kane went for, about £100m, and he is a year or two younger but he only had a year to go on his deal at Spurs.
“Salah has two years to go, he looks after himself really well. For Liverpool to sell now, they aren’t going to want what he is worth, they will want more than that,” he told Sky Sports on Friday night.
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“He wouldn’t be worth £150m without the Saudi market, probably closer to £100m. But why have they left it so late? If they wanted him so badly, and they were prepared to spend the money, why didn’t they do it six months ago when they might have got him?
“It is up to Liverpool and it is up to Salah, he may not want to go. I think even for supporters who love him and don’t want him to move, if that number keeps going up and up, there is a stage where they can’t turn it down, and that would be £200m.”
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