Liverpool have turned down a colossal £150 million ($190 million) bid from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah, reports revealed on Friday.
Rumours of Egypt’s Salah moving to the Gulf State have circulated for weeks, and it’s understood that Al-Ittihad made a verbal offer to Liverpool on Friday.
The offer reportedly consisted of £100 million upfront with an additional £50 million in add-ons. However, Liverpool is determined to keep Salah and intends to reject all offers, regardless of the amount.
Salah, who transferred to Liverpool from Roma in 2017, inked a new three-year contract with the club last year. His agent had publicly ruled out a switch to Saudi Arabia during the close season when several Premier League stars accepted lucrative offers from the Gulf State.
“Mohamed remains committed to Liverpool,” stated Salah’s representative Ramy Abbas Issa in August. “If we considered leaving Liverpool this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer.”
During his six seasons at Anfield, the 31-year-old has netted 138 goals in 221 appearances and secured the Premier League Golden Boot three times.
Even if Liverpool had entertained the idea of life without Salah, the bid’s arrival just before Friday’s 2200 GMT transfer deadline would have left them little time to find a replacement.
When asked about Salah’s future on Friday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told reporters, “The position remains the same, absolutely. No doubt about that. We cannot (sell Salah). That’s how it is. Nothing else to say.”
