Mo Salah leaves Liverpool ‘torn’ as Al-Ittihad raise offer higher than expected and prepare January return if Reds say no
Liverpool have received a new offer from Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah that has gone even higher than expected, according to reports that have also revealed the full range of incentives on offer to the player himself.
Salah was recently the subject of a £150m bid by Al-Ittihad, which Liverpool had little interest in listening to. However, an expectation has remained that the Saudi Pro League champions would make a new attempt to sign him.
After a Saudi delegation travelled to the UK, reports had predicted their next bid would come towards £200m, but they might have put even more on the table. A report from The Sun has claimed that Liverpool have now been offered £215m, which would be a world-record move.
And if Liverpool do not accept by the time the Saudi transfer window closes on Thursday, Al-Ittihad will prepare to test their resolve again at the next opportunity in January.
Right now, they are already willing to tempt Salah with a £2.45m signing-on bonus. Beyond that, they are offering him a £55,000 win bonus, a large percentage of takings from shirt sales, and ambassadorial roles for three significant Saudi companies, which could be worth £18m to the Egypt international.
First and foremost, though, the pressure is on Liverpool as to whether or not to accept the offer from Al-Ittihad. According to the report, Salah’s current employers are now ‘torn’ on what to do.
Although Jurgen Klopp has insisted Salah is not for sale – especially after signing the biggest contract in Liverpool’s history last summer – other decision makers at the club could be seriously mulling over what to do.
Liverpool would have to evolve without Salah
If Liverpool sell Salah now, of course, they will be unable to add their own replacement until January. When the time comes, though, they would be armed with a significant budget to be able to do so.
In the meantime, they would have to find another combination attack from the likes of Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.
Despite the speculation surrounding his future, Salah has started all four Premier League matches for Liverpool so far this season, contributing two goals and assists each.
In the top five Liverpool goalscorers of all time, Salah is an Anfield legend. If Al-Ittihad are to sign him before the Saudi deadline, though, he will have already played his last game for the club.
Liverpool still have the 31-year-old under contract until 2025, which would be eight years after he joined the club from Roma.
A move to Al-Ittihad would immediately reunite him with Fabinho, who also left Liverpool earlier in the summer. Other ex-teammates like Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino have also gone to other clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
