Even though the English transfer season is closed, clubs in the Saudi Pro League can still sign players through Thursday, which is why there are still whispers circulating about Mohamed Salah in particular.
On deadline day, Liverpool reportedly rapidly rejected a proposal of up to £150 million for their Egyptian king, and manager Jurgen Klopp has repeatedly denied publicly any rumours that the forward will be moving this summer.
The latest rumours, however, indicate that Al-Ittihad intends to test Liverpool’s resolve once again by making a £200 million offer before their deadline, thus the rumours persist.
Salah would become the most expensive player of all time at such a price, surpassing the £197 million Paris Saint-Germain paid for Neymar in 2017, but Liverpool would be without the player who has been their leading scorer in each of his six seasons at the club, and they wouldn’t be able to use that money to sign replacements until at least January.
The Sports Mole crew debates whether or not the six-time European winners should accept a £200 million bid for their outstanding player in this article.
About four or five weeks ago, I think it would have been a completely different conversation for the Liverpool owner and even for Jurgen Klopp.
Of course, Salah’s place in the squad has not changed in that time – he is an integral part of Klopp’s squad and one of the first names on the list since arriving in 2017 – but the important thing is that Liverpool is no longer a replacement. him until January at the earliest.
The Reds already boast more attacking talent than most teams in the league – as two Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota will likely start on the bench for most of the week – but Salah is still the jewel. in this crown.
The £200 million record fee is staggering; Liverpool will never be paid more for him, and I fully understand the argument that he is 31 years old and in the penultimate year of his contract.
However, with the way transfer fees continue to rise and there is no sign of Saudi spending dwindling any time soon, I doubt Liverpool can stand on their own this summer and still receive a nine-figure offer next year. next – possibly up to £150m – especially if Salah has another strong season, this seems like a pretty safe bet for him.
Changes to the Champions League from next season mean more space could open up for a Premier League team, but the battle for those places is fiercer than ever – Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United. and Liverpool both want to try their luck, and the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa shouldn’t be left out of the conversation either.
So, in my opinion, Liverpool should keep Salah this summer at all costs, and do the same in January if there are new approaches. They would certainly agree to a £50m transfer fee cut if it made the difference between qualifying for next season’s Champions League, and Salah’s importance to the team could be huge. big.
Also from a player’s perspective, he probably still has a few years left at the top, so he might want to continue to challenge himself at an elite level rather than going to Saudi Arabia at the age of 31. quite young.
Salah’s eventual move to Saudi Arabia seems inevitable, and he will likely be a star that could even eclipse Cristiano Ronaldo because of his cultural significance to the Arab world. Arabic. So Liverpool can afford to play tough, keep this summer and still demand huge fees. next year. The amount itself may be as high as it gets, but it seems like it’s not now or never, take it or leave it for a big money deal done now.
The alternative – selling him in the next few days – would cost them one of the greatest players of all time and have no prospect of replacing him or strengthening their squad elsewhere. Not only that, but they have also lost another leader from a team that has seen Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho leave this summer.
The £200m figure is a number no team would have thought of, but for a club that doesn’t crave that money it will have little interest in the bank until earlier this month. January, and probably until next summer before Klopp can win any. main goals.
Darren Plant, Senior Correspondent
Even if a fee of £150m is offered for a 31-year-old in the final two years of his contract, a sale seems obvious, provided Salah himself is willing to complete the move at this stage. this part of his life. . his career. Now that we have reached a stage where a fee of £200m or more can be accepted, how can Liverpool say no? That would hurt their hopes of winning the Premier League this season, of course, but Liverpool have enough attacking quality to finish in the top four – that should be their most realistic goal this season – though. with or without Salah.
Of course, a transfer is not black and white, but while Salah’s move to Saudi Arabia is inevitable – whether now, in January or next summer – Liverpool should be looking to maximize fees they receive and listen to. according to Salah’s wishes. He deserves to be respected to that extent.
Do I think Salah will leave Liverpool in the next few days? No, however, Liverpool must eliminate any ego or concerns about short-term adverse effects in their decision-making. That money will pay a substitute right-back, a new centre-back and a substitute – not a substitute because you can’t replace him – for Salah, while still being the beneficiary and good than being able to dethrone Manchester City or anyone else in 2024 -25.
Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter
After carving his name into Liverpool folklore during his legendary seven years at Anfield, winning every domestic title as well as the Champions League and breaking many goalscoring records, Mohamed Salah must be wondering if now is the time. to search for new pastures or not. and go to Saudi Arabia or sign up with Jurgen Klopp for at least another year.
Liverpool and Klopp have made it clear they do not want to sell Salah, but if the player wants to move to the Middle East and the Red Devils receive an offer of at least £200m – a world record amount – for him in 31 year. When they’re old, they’ll be stupid if they don’t accept it.
The timing of the offer couldn’t have been worse for Liverpool, just days after the English transfer window closed, but the Red Devils would never have received a better offer than the Egyptian.
Replacing Salah is almost impossible, but there are some high-quality strikers Liverpool could target, such as Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Juventus’ Federico Chiesa, Barcelona’s Raphinha and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo – one Bold move for Arsenal’s Bukayo. Saka can also be considered.
Joël Lefèvre, journalist
If I were Jurgen Klopp, I would do everything to prevent the club from selling Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has been a model of consistency for Liverpool from season to season, and even at the age of 31, his pace, dribbling and finishing skills will be severely affected if the question goes on. the club sells him.
I think he not only lacks technical qualities on the pitch but his veteran leadership is something that I think will go a long way in elevating young players like Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez from the Great players into elite players.
Liverpool have proven in the past that they can compete continuously with Man City and other top teams in the Premier League, and while selling your most important asset makes you a richer club then you’re wasting your chance to win a few trophies every season. in the near future if you choose to let Salah go.
Andrew Delaney, journalist
Yes, although he is arguably Liverpool’s best player, that money for a 31-year-old is an offer you can’t refuse.
£200m could be used to buy three, four or five top quality players who could help Liverpool rise to the top of the Premier League once again.
A Salah replacement will be needed, but then Liverpool can still sign a world-class midfielder and central midfielder in January with money left over, two of the most problematic areas. previous season.
Devesh Jaganath, journalist
Correct! While Salah is a key part of Klopp’s strategy, the £200m snag for a 31-year-old is obvious.
From a neutral perspective, will Salah win the Premier League against Liverpool this year? Sure is not. In addition, this season there will be no Champions League football at Anfield.
These funds could attract big-name players in the next transfer window, such as when they let Coutinho go to finance the purchases of Alisson and Van Dijk, which took them to the next level. years of poor performance.
