Mohamed Salah: Jamie Carragher names Liverpool breaking point over fee as Saudi Arabia rumours refuse to disappear
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool FC
Jamie Carragher insists Liverpool have no intentions of allowing Mohamed Salah to leave this summer – but admits the club will have a breaking point over his asking price amid ongoing rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia.
The Egyptian star is one of the most highly-regarded and recognisable players in world football. Sat fifth on Liverpool’s all-time top scorers list, Salah has smashed in 187 goals in 307 appearances over his five full seasons at Anfield to date.
However, the prospects of him climbing even higher up the Liverpool goalscoring charts are being put under serious duress this summer amid strong links to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Pro-League has pumped billions into signing some of the world’s top stars and on wages that, in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, top a staggering £1.3m per week.
Having already raided Liverpool for the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, the Gulf State also provides a home now for other former Anfield heroes such as Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler, the latter two as managers, of course.
Now it has emerged that Salah is the next big name in their sights with Al-Ittihad pursuing a deal. In the Arabic world, Salah is the biggest name in the world game, bar none. As such, they are reportedly willing to pay Liverpool a £60m fee and Salah wages that would topple even that of Ronaldo.
Furthermore, a strong report on Sunday claimed Sunday’s match at Newcastle would be Salah’s last game in a Liverpool shirt.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, however, remains unperturbed by speculation on Salah’s future.
Klopp is adamant that Egyptian star is not for sale and even an offer of £100m would be turned down.
Carragher claims Liverpool would sell Mohamed Salah if price is right
Pressed about the rumours, Klopp stated: “It’s always a bit difficult to talk about media stories because there is nothing to talk about at the moment.
“We don’t have an offer, Mo Salah is still a Liverpool player, obviously for all the things we do, he’s essential and will be. There’s nothing there. If there would be something, the answer would be no.
“My life philosophy is I think about a problem when I have it. At the moment, there’s absolutely nothing. I said already if there is something, the answer would be no.”
With Salah’s agent also underlining his commitment to Anfield, Klopp was asked again if he is sure that Salah remains committed. In response, the Reds boss was unswerving, saying: “One hundred per cent.”
Carragher, however, concurs with Klopp’s statement that Liverpool will not want to cash in.
However, unlike Klopp, he feels Liverpool do have a breaking point.
“‘I think it’d have to be over £150million,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “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.
“I can see mo Salah playing until he’s in his late 30s so I think he might think, ‘I’ve got another three or four years’.
“Well he’s got another two years on his contract (at Liverpool) so I don’t know if he’ll stay after that but he’ll want to score as many goals as he can, win the biggest honours, break records.
“I think there’s time for him to go to an MLS, Saudi Arabia, maybe somewhere else in the future in his late 30s because I think he looks after himself.”
John Aldridge thinks Egyptian will leave for Saudi Arabia
Carragher continued: “He’s such a professional and I think there’s still a lot more years in Mo Salah right now, but if you actually think of the model of FSG and the reason why Liverpool have had so much success, when someone made a crazy offer for Philippe Coutinho five or six years ago – Barcelona paid £130m.
“They didn’t try and replace Philippe Coutinho, they bought Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker and then Liverpool went on to win the lot.
“So in some ways it is the model of the ownership. You’ve bought Salah, you’ve had great years from him he’s over 30 now and someone made a ridiculous offer from him and it was earlier in the window.”
Another former Liverpool man, John Aldridge, meanwhile, has told Sunday World why he expects Salah to make the move to Saudi Arabia.
“Salah could be one of the next big names to take the crazy cash on offer in the Saudi league – but that would not be my biggest concern,” Aldridge told sundayworld.com.
“Liverpool have already lost Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Saudi league and Salah is the kind of mega name they will want.
“Liverpool’s star man will be 32 next summer and if he is offered £1million-a-week and the club get a good fee for him, I can see it happening.
“The bigger concern for me are the reports linking Alisson Becker with a move to Saudi Arabia.
“While Salah may be at the back end of his playing career, Alisson is still the best keeper in the world and would be hard to replace.
“I like Caoimhin Kelleher and he is a fantastic No.2 for Liverpool, but Alisson is a class act and I hope the Saudis don’t get their hands on him.
“The trouble is, Liverpool’s Brazilian stopper is great mates with Fabinho, who left Liverpool for the Saudi money a few weeks back.
“Footballers will all be talking about what is going on in Saudi and Alisson and Fabinho will have been talking about life in football’s new world.
“I’m sure Fabinho and his family being treated like a king down there and they money is obviously tempting so, let’s see where this one goes.
“None of us saw this Saudi football explosion coming this summer and Liverpool have been hit harder than most clubs around Europe with the players who have left.
“Salah’s move might already be a done deal, but hopefully Alisson is not next.”
