Footballer Mohamed Salah turns down Saudi Pro League

The football icon will not be moving to Al-Ittihad.

For the past few days, the football world has been in a dilemma. Reports were rife that Egyptian football sensation Mohamed Salah would bid farewell to Liverpool – the club that turned him into a Champions League winner. Like many other football superstars, it was rumoured that he’d also make a move to Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Ittihad. But all speculations have been put to rest, as Salah will be sticking with Liverpool.

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool is not ready to let go of their star player. The club’s manager Jurgen Klopp shared: “We cannot (sell Mohamed Salah). That’s how it is. Nothing else to say.”

Earlier, reports from Sport Italia suggested that Mohamed Salah himself expressed a desire to move to the Saudi Pro League, setting the stage for negotiations between Liverpool and Al-Ittihad. The Saudi club had tabled an offer of SAR 475 million (£100 million) and even raised it to over SAR 700 million (£150 million) for the 31-year-old forward – one of the biggest offers made to a player to jump ship over to the Kingdom.

However, Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol shared that Salah’s agent denied all such claims. “He had signed a new contract at Liverpool last summer and he wouldn’t have done that if he wanted to leave,” said the publication’s chief reporter.

Salah has been the MVP of Liverpool, scoring a jaw-dropping 187 goals in just 307 times he stepped onto the field. And as the most famous Arab player in the world, football fans from the region were excited for him to join the Saudi Pro League. But it looks like they’ll have to wait longer.

Does that mean Salah will join Saudi Arabia later? “Yes,” commented Solhekol. “I’m not saying it’s going to be in this window, January or next year, but the Saudis are very serious about signing him.”

If Salah had moved to Al-Ittihad, he’d join other Liverpool players, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who moved to the Saudi Pro League earlier in the transfer window. These high-profile transfers have signalled a trend of Saudi clubs luring players away from established European clubs with substantial financial offers.

Recently, the Kingdom’s football arena has gotten a serious upgrade thanks to big-name players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, and N’Golo Kante jumping on board. While Salah might not be on this list right now, Saudi football is still making waves not just locally, but on the global pitch as well. And we’re all here for it.

GO: Follow @ittihadclub.sa on Instagram for more information.