Ahram Online
Mahmoud Elassal , Friday 1 Sep 2023
Liverpool has turned down a verbal offer worth £150 million from Saudi Pro League champions Ittihad Jeddah to acquire Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah, a source told Sky Sports News on Friday.
The same source has told Sky Sports News that Ittihad are prepared to go to £200 million to sign the 31-year-old super star.
Earlier on Friday, the New York Times-owned The Athletic sports website reported that Ittihad Jeddah made a proposal worth over £100 million with significant add-ons to acquire Salah from Liverpool, but that offer was immediately dismissed and given no consideration by Reds management.
According to The Athletic, representatives from the Saudi side had a cordial conversation with Liverpool director Mike Gordon late Thursday who affirmed that Salah was not for sale and considered the matter closed.
In recent weeks, Salah has attracted substantial interest from Ittihad Jeddah who are reportedly willing to offer him a record-breaking salary that would make him the highest-paid player in the world.
Throughout the week, Saudi media platforms continued to fuel speculation by claiming that Salah had agreed to join Ittihad Jeddah in the Saudi Pro League.
However, Salah has explicitly stated that any potential move would require the approval of Liverpool's management and coach Jurgen Klopp.
Moreover, Jurgen Klopp emphatically reiterated on Friday that Salah will not be leaving the club, despite numerous claims in various Saudi media outlets suggesting that Ittihad Jeddah is on the verge of securing the services of the star player.
According to the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Aawsat, Ittihad Jeddah is prepared to offer Salah a weekly salary of £1.5 million and an improved offer to entice Liverpool into accepting the deal.
Saudi Arabian clubs have made significant investments in players this summer, securing high-profile signings such as Liverpool's midfield veteran Roberto Firmino.
The Saudi Pro League has recently welcomed renowned players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane to Al-Nasr, Karim Benzema to Ittihad Jeddah, and Ruben Neves to Al-Hilal.
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