Jamie Carragher has changed his mind about what Mohamed Salah would need to experience in order to leave Liverpool.
Al-Ittihad, the Saudi Arabian team, has been following Salah for the past month. On Thursday night, an official offer—believed to be an initial £100 million with a potential increase to £150 million—was made, but Liverpool promptly rejected it.
Earlier this month, when asked about the potential of Salah departing, Reds great Carragher told Sky Sports that a £150 million offer would be impossible for the team to refuse. On the day of the deadline, fellow commentator Gary Neville questioned Carragher about whether his position had changed in response to Al-Ittihad’s offer.
“So, would he be worth £150 million if there were no current Saudi Arabian situation? Naturally, he wouldn’t be, as the amount is probably close to £100 million, but why have they waited so long? Why didn’t [Al-Ittihad] submit this bid six weeks or a month earlier if they desired him so much and were willing to pay so much money? I believe there was a good probability he would leave.
Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas posted a message on Twitter towards the beginning of August clarifying that the Liverpool striker would not have agreed to a new contract last summer if he had intended to leave the club. Carragher used this statement as evidence. The former Liverpool player acknowledged that every player, in the end, pays a price.
Neville referred to the ‘inflation’ of Carragher’s new valuation, compared to his initial £150m price tag, while the Premier League clubs’ transfer deadline was just hours away. The Reds legend is certain that Salah will stay with Liverpool, but he might see a scenario in which the team decides to sell him off if Al-Ittihad’s offers keep becoming significantly higher.
