Al-Ittihad’s last-ditch effort to capture Mohamed Salah before the transfer deadline will be met by resistance from Liverpool. Al-Ittihad are the Saudi Arabian champions.
The Reds rejected a massive verbal offer from the Saudi Pro League club, Ittihad, worth £150 million, which was made public on Friday, the day of the transfer deadline. Ittihad officials reportedly spoke with Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon on Thursday night.
Initial reports on the closing date of the Saudi window were ambiguous, with some indicating it was as late as September 20. Ittihad will have until Thursday to finalize a deal for Salah, the league’s official website informs.
A delegation from the Middle East is said to have flown into London on Saturday to attempt and arrange a deal for Salah, who has just under two years left on the largest contract of all time at Anfield, worth over £350,000. This was revealed in a report on Monday.
Some members of the Ittihad hierarchy reportedly believe Tuesday is their last chance to make progress in their efforts to bring the Egypt captain to Saudi Arabia. According to reports, a better offer could reach as high as £200 million, which would tie the record transfer for all-time set when Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
Liverpool views the situation as resolved and is preparing for the remainder of the season with Salah in their ranks as he seeks to add to the number of goals that have already made him the most prolific scorer in Premier League history at Anfield.
