Lievrpool star Mohamed Salah will be the subject of renewed transfer interest from Saudi Arabian clubs this summer – and teammate Alisson could join him out there if the Saudi Pro League get their way.
Liverpool turned down a £150m bid from Al-Ittihad for Salah last summer, feeling the Egyptian would be irreplaceable even at that price, particularly given how late in the transfer window that bid arrived.
Salah has been the subject of ongoing speculation that a new offer may arrive this summer, prompting intrigue as to what Liverpool’s stance would now be on a player who turns 32 next month and who has just one year left on his current contract.
The Guardian write that sure enough, Salah and Alisson are among the prime targets for the Saudi Pro League this summer, alongside Manchester United’s Casemiro and soon-out-of-contract Raphael Varane.
Liverpool and Manchester United duos on Saudi Arabia transfer wishlist
Salah has been at Liverpool since joining from Roma in 2017 and has been prolific for the club, scoring 211 goals in 348 competitive appearances for the club to put himself fifth in the Reds’ all-time top scorers list.
Brazilian international Alisson has meanwhile been a very reliable solution to an extremely long-standing problem position for Liverpool since arriving in 2018, also from Roma. The goalkeeper has another two years on his deal at Anfield, however, putting Liverpool in a stronger position to resist advances for his services should they choose to do so.
The Saudi Pro League has the backing of the sovereign wealth fund PIF, which has invested heavily in raising the country’s global profile as a place for elite sports – thus distracting from Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights record in the process.
Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson attracted criticism for accepting a move to Al-Ettifaq last year given his prior efforts to present himself as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia and punishable by death.
In the end Henderson struggled to adapt to life at his new club and gave up a pretty penny’s worth of his considerable earnings to take a January move to Dutch side Ajax instead. The midfielder subsequently apologised for any hurt caused by his move.
The Guardian add that other overseas imports have likewise struggled with life in Saudi Arabia, but that clubs hope that a new set of 50 exclusive resorts will help aid the transition for any new players who choose to make the move this summer.
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