Al-Ittihad are aiming to try and sign Liverpool’s star player Mohamed Salah in this transfer window with Saudi Pro League clubs allowed to sign players up until September 19.
Al-Ittihad are one of the four Saudi Pro League clubs, along with Al Ahli, Al-Hilal and Al Nassr, to be backed by the Saudi state with the Saudi Public Investment Fund taking ownership of those clubs a few months ago.
The Tigers, under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, have already signed one Liverpool player this summer with Fabinho arriving as one of their eight permitted ‘foreign stars’. They also currently have Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Igor Coronado, Jota, Marcelo Grohe, Romarinho and Abderrazak Hamdallah in those slots. However, it appears that Jota, who signed from Celtic this summer, may well be let go as a free agent in order to accommodate someone else – that someone being Mohamed Salah.
A fee of up to £150 million has been discussed with the club also reportedly willing to quadruple the 31 year-old’s current weekly wage at Anfield.
As well as Fabinho, Liverpool have also lost their captain Jordan Henderson to the Saudi Pro League this summer with the former Sunderland midfielder joining Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq. Roberto Firmino, who was released by The Reds this summer, has signed for Al Ahli, whilst former star winger, Sadio Mane, moved from Bayern Munich to Al Nassr this month, too.
Jurgen Klopp has today reiterated his and the clubs’ stance that Salah is not for sale this summer with the German forthright in that view saying ‘there is nothing to talk about from out point of view’ with regards to questioning about the Egyptian.
In terms of other potential incomings for Liverpool, following the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo so far this summer, they are expected to try and sign another central midfielder and remain interested in a left-sided centre-back.