Mo Salah has become the latest big-name to emerge as a summer transfer target for Saudi Arabia’s Pro League.
Despite recently signing a contract extension at Liverpool, the Egypt international has reportedly become the subject of strong interest from Al-Ittihad.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the uber-wealthy Middle Eastern club have a ‘concrete interest’ in signing the 31-year-old, and although it remains unclear just how likely a transfer is to transpire this summer, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore believes the Reds should take the chance to try and secure a world-record fee for their world-class number 11.
“The reality is, Liverpool aren’t in the same financial bracket as the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, so if Al-Ittihad, or any other club, make them an offer, and don’t get me wrong, it’ll have to be a mega offer, probably a world-record, then I can see them accepting because they just can’t afford to say no to something like £300 million,” Collymore said in an exclusive interview.
“I don’t see Salah as a disruptive type of player, but again, if reports he’s being offered £1,500,000-per week are to be believed, there is no way he’s turning his back on that. Who would? – But it isn’t just the money on offer that will appeal to Salah. There’s a huge cultural aspect to this touted move. He’s a strict muslim and let’s be honest, he isn’t a born n’ bred scouser. Yes, he will go down as a Liverpool legend but he’s a career professional that has already had several high-profile transfers in his time so why wouldn’t he move to the Middle East?
“For me, it’s quite simple, if I’m Liverpool, I am holding firm and saying to Al-Ittihad ‘If you really want to sign Salah, you’ll need to offer £300 million, and if you do that, we’ll fly him to Jeddah ourselves.’
Neymar Jnr’s £198 million move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 remains football’s most expensive-ever transfer. However, if Collymore is proven correct and Salah ends up leaving Anfield for £300 million, the former Chelsea and Roma winger would become the world’s most expensive player, by quite some distance too.
Speaking recently about Salah’s links to Al-Ittihad, Jurgen Klopp, who spoke to reporters on Friday morning, said: “We don’t have an offer — Mo Salah is a Liverpool player and for all the things we do is essential. If there would be something, the answer would be no. Mo is 100 per cent committed to Liverpool. Nothing to talk about.”
During his six years at Anfield, Salah, who has two years left on his contract, has scored 187 goals in 307 games in all competitions. His contributions have helped guide Liverpool to seven major trophies, including the 2018-19 Champions League and 2019-20 Premier League.