Michail Antonio of West Ham United, a striker, stated that Mohamed Salah ‘was ready to depart’ to Saudi Arabia this summer.
The Saudi Pro League, which is supported by the government, has shown a lot of interest in Liverpool’s number 11. However, Liverpool finally rejected a deal from Al Ittihad that was reportedly worth up to £150 million, including add-ons, before the transfer deadline earlier this month.
Despite the Reds’ steadfast stance that Salah is not for sale, there have been rumors that the degree of interest, which included offers of a compensation contract that would make him one of the highest-paid footballers on the planet, turned Salah’s head.
Salah’s contract with Liverpool expires in 2025, thus it’s likely that Saudi Arabia will remain interested in him in upcoming transfer windows when Liverpool would be more amenable to a trade.
Antonio asserts that he knows ‘for a fact’ that Salah was prepared to leave Liverpool this summer during an interview with the Footballer’s Football Podcast.
Antonio declared, “He didn’t reject that [transfer]. No way.”
“He was imprisoned, and the Reds had written across with that red arrow: “You are not going anywhere. He did not at all stop that. To be fair to him, he didn’t make a scene and let them carry on with their activities. However, I am positive that he was prepared to leave.
The prospect for a lucrative sale, Antonio said, would have benefited all parties, including Liverpool.
What else can he accomplish at Liverpool, he asked? He completed it. As a Muslim man, he has a fantastic opportunity in Saudi Arabia, where everything was clamoring for him. The man had no legitimate reason to stay home. He apparently has a contract, which he has carried out.
Do you understand what it simply means when a player wins another Premier League championship? He has obtained another. It doesn’t really improve anything else much. He has completed all of his tasks at Liverpool. I’m telling you right now that Liverpool will pay £215 million for a 31-year-old Muslim moving to a Muslim nation. I simply think it is absurd that they haven’t acknowledged that.
When Salah recorded a hat-trick of assists in the 3-1 victory over Wolves on Saturday, he became just the eighth player in Premier League history to have contributed to 200 goals for one club.
He needs nine more goals to make the top 10 all-time Premier League scorer list.
