Liverpool ‘consider’ transfer saga ‘over’ despite Saudi ‘persistence’ and ‘obsession’ amid £200m bid
Fabrizio Romano says Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad will not give up on their pursuit of Mohamed Salah, even if Liverpool believe the transfer saga is ‘over’.
Al-Ittihad look to have made their move for Salah a little too late after Liverpool reportedly rejected a mind-boggling offer worth around £175million on deadline day.
Had the Reds received such a bid in July, for example, they probably would have accepted it and delved into the transfer market to bring in a replacement.
The offer being made on Friday gave Liverpool no time to buy a new right-sided attacking player and if the Saudi side come back with another bid, it will be impossible for Jurgen Klopp to sign a replacement.
The transfer window slammed shut across Europe on Friday night, but Saudi clubs are able to buy players until next Thursday, leaving Premier League clubs on tenterhooks.
As covered in Saturday’s Gossip column, the Daily Mail have reported that Al-Ittihad are eager to make an improved offer worth £200m, which would be the most expensive transfer of all time.
Romano says, however, that there is ‘no news’ regarding Salah’s future and from a Liverpool point of view, no news is good news.
Writing for CaughtOffside, the Italian transfer expert says the Reds ‘consider the story over’.
Al-Ittihad will ‘continue to insist’ in the last week of the Saudi transfer window as they are ‘obsessed’ with Salah.
In full, Romano wrote:
‘Despite the window remaining open for the Saudi Pro League, there’s no news on Mo Salah at the moment honestly. The bid from Al-Ittihad has been rejected and Liverpool want to keep Salah. They consider the story over.
‘From Saudi, they continue to insist as Al-Ittihad are really obsessed with a deal for Salah, but now, with the window closed in Europe, it’s very difficult to get the green light for his exit.’
Reds boss Klopp was asked about the interest in Salah during his press conference on Friday.
He said: “The position remains the same absolutely. That’s how it is. Nothing else to say. No offer as far as I know.”
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