SAUDI ARABIA chiefs are tempting Mo Salah to quit Liverpool this summer with a stunning £65million payday for just TWO seasons in the desert.
One of the Gulf state’s most powerful figures fuelled the story by posting a picture of Salah wearing an Al-Hilal shirt.
4 Saudi Arabia chiefs are offering Liverpool star Mohamed Salah £65m for two seasonsCredit: Getty
4 Turki Alalshikh posted a picture of Salah wearing an Al-Hilal shirtCredit: Facebook / TURKI ALALSHIKH
Turki Alalshikh, who has masterminded Saudi Arabia’s effective takeover of professional boxing, has a ministerial role in the Kingdom’s government and is also chairman of the state’s General Entertainment Authority.
A close ally of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the effective ruler of the nation, he signalled Al-Hilal’s determination to land Salah ahead of their appearance in this summer’s new expanded Fifa Club World Cup.
Given the costs involved, that would only be possible with approval of bin Salman and the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
Fifa chiefs have given participating clubs an extra transfer “window” to sign players in time for the competition, which kicks off in mid-June, before the normal end of contract at the end of that month.
And it has now emerged that the Saudis are ready to offer Salah a mouth-watering sum if he does agree to cut his ties with Liverpool and move to the Riyadh-based club.
Salah’s lack of agreement on a new deal with Liverpool – and public comments about his “last season” at Anfield – has increased doubts over his wish to sign a new deal at Anfield.
The clouds over his future have not prevented Salah enjoying arguably the best season of his Liverpool career, with a Prem-leading 18 goals and 13 assists so far to his name.
If Salah does run down the last few months of his current deal without signing a new one he can leave for free.
The Egyptian is the iconic Muslim player in world football and his capture would be a huge coup for the SPL and further proof of the fledgling competition’s financial clout and cachet.
Salah has amassed a staggering 232 goals and 105 assists in 378 appearances since his arrival at Liverpool from Roma in 2017.