Liverpool will be tested by Saudi persistence on Salah

Liverpool has a conundrum and one which will test their resolve as well as the rest of world football. Should, as reported by multiple sources, the Saudi Arabian team Al-Ittihad improve on the bid for Mohamed Salah in the next day or so that was rejected on the English league deadline day.

Liverpool reject first bid

It was last Friday that an already astonishing £150m offer was presented to Liverpool. This was swiftly turned away, and in press conferences both before and after the Reds’ 3-0 win over Aston Villa, manager Jurgen Klopp stood firm on the clubs’ decision. The player was not for sale.

Klopp would add that matters like these are also above him and would not host many questions over the possibility of the Egyptian’s future. Salah, now 31, is seen as the leading light at Anfield. A player that would leave a huge hole in their team. What we have to remember though is no player is bigger than the club they represent. This was tested recently when Harry Kane left Tottenham Hotspur to go to Bayern Munich. Kane, like Salah, was the kingpin in a team that was falling short of trophies, and the move was seen as necessary for the Spurs’ all-time leading striker to win silverware before his career finished.

Salah though has won titles with Liverpool. A Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup, a FIFA World Club Cup, Premier League, FA Cup…So, there’s not much more for the player to achieve domestically in England. And with his age a factor the time could be right for the Merseyside team to cash in.

Fresh, and improved offer

The new bid, which all of football is ready for, could be anything between £200-£215m. This will seriously test the “not for sale” tag. Salah will be tempted by a wage that could be in the region of £350,000 a day, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Clearly, the transfer fee and ensuing salary will go down as a maker for any future deals that the Saudi Pro League teams will look at as a new standard. How far they can go is yet to be seen as each new bid for players comes in. The sky is the limit for now it seems, as they shift the plates of world football from underneath everyone that is involved in the game.

A delegation has been in London since Saturday it has been reported, and this would lean towards definite talks being had. With nothing being formally said in the last day or so, it seems those talks are ongoing, and it would not be a surprise if at the end there is a straightforward announcement of a deal. The Saudi transfer window closes on Thursday, and they will not want to have this dragged out into a final day, and they will not want to leave empty-handed.