Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah emerged as a shock transfer target for Saudi Pro League champions, Al Ittihad.
With few days remaining to the close of the transfer window, Mohamed Salah dominated the headlines after reports emerged Al Ittihad have laid siege for the Liverpool forward with an enticing offer.
A lucrative contract offer, promising the biggest paycheck over other top stars like Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, Karim Benzema at Al Ittihad, and Neymar at Al Hilal, including other luxury perks, would have been enough to lure Salah to Saudi Arabia.
However, Premier League and English pundit, Jamie Carragher, has dismissed the possiblity of the move based on certain unmet conditions.
Carragher, who played for Liverpool from 1996 to 2013, says Liverpool could actually benefit from such move if the price offer was £150m not the reported £100m offered by Al Ittihad.
According to him, Liverpool’s model which allows even big players to leave on big offers and then reimbursing the sale proceeds on new signings has worked for the club hence the same could be applied for Salah’s although the timing was late.
Carragher also maintained Mo Salah is a top professional and will not want to agree to the move as he still has a lot to play for in the Premier League.
He, however, did not rule out a move in the nearest future to other leagues like the MLS or Saudi Pro League but a switch from the Reds this summer is very unlikely.
He said in an interview with Sky Sports, ‘I think it’d have to be over £150million.
‘I’m not saying he’s worth that right now at his age but I don’t think £100m; you’re not replacing Mohamed Salah for £100m.
‘If they offered a crazy figure but as I said it is so late in the window. If it was earlier – maybe they might think about it because that is the model that they’ve had in the past but I don’t think Mo Salah is going anywhere.’
‘I don’t think Mo Salah will go. One because it’s so late in the window. I don’t necessarily thing Mo Salah will want to go and what I mean by that is that Salah will be a little bit like Ronaldo.
‘I can see Mohamed Salah playing until he’s in his late 30s so I think he might think, “I’ve got another three or four years.
‘Well he’s got another two years on his contract [at Liverpool] so I don’t know if he’ll stay after that but he’ll want to score as many goals as he can, win the biggest honours, break records.
‘I think there’s time for him to go to an MLS, Saudi Arabia, maybe somewhere else in the future in his late 30s because I think he looks after himself.
‘He’s such a professional and I think there’s still a lot more years in Mohamed Salah right now.
‘But if you actually think of the model of FSG and the reason why Liverpool have had so much success, when someone made a crazy offer for Philippe Coutinho five or six years ago – Barcelona paid £130m.
‘They [Liverpool] didn’t try and replace Philippe Coutinho, they bought Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker and then Liverpool went on to win the lot.
‘So in some ways it is the model of the ownership. You’ve bought Salah, you’ve had great years from him he’s over 30 now and someone made a ridiculous offer from him and it was earlier in the window.’
While Jamie Carragher’s take on Mohamed Salah transfer saga comes from a grand optimistic stand of a Liverpool supporter, reports from Saudi outlets had it that Salah was considering that offer and could be tempted for a move but Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp deal further blows to the rumor later.
Klopp declared on Newcastle United postmatch press conference that Salah to Al Ittihad rumor was gone. He added Mohamed Salah was fully committed to the club.
Salah has two years contract at Liverpool. Al Ittihad were ready to press the button and make the move happen but the move was somewhat doomed to fail based on critical variables such as the timing and the choice of the player.
Amidst reports from Saudi Arabia of Salah’s leaning towards an exit from Liverpool to Saudi Arabia, the player was focused on his game with Liverpool and started the match against Newcastle United.
Also, it was most certain Liverpool will not enter into talks with Al Ittihad for Salah given the timing of the interest. Mo Salah remains a key man for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool squad plan.
The Reds will be hand-tied searching for a replacement for Mohamed Salah if they allow him leave in the last days of the transfer window.
