Mohamed Salah was reportedly ready to leave Liverpool for the Saudi Pro League in the summer of 2023, but the Anfield club blocked his departure.
Liverpool received a mouth-watering offer from Saudi Arabia for the Egyptian forward, but rejected every approach. Al Ittihad saw an opening offer of £150m turned down, with Jurgen Klopp reluctant to lose his star man.
According to West Ham star Michail Antonio, Salah was prepared to accept the move until the Reds stepped in.
“Salah did not turn the Saudi move down, no way,” Antonio said on the Footballer’s Football Podcast. “He was locked up, Liverpool put that red arrow across: ‘You are not going anywhere’.
“He did not stop that at all. To be fair to him, he didn’t kick up a fuss and let them do what they were doing. But I know for a fact that he was ready to go.”
Why was Salah interested in a move to Saudi Arabia?
There are a few possible reasons why Salah was interested in a move to Saudi Arabia.
First, the financial offer was reportedly very lucrative. The Saudis are keen to attract top players to their league, and they are willing to pay big money to do so.
Second, Salah may have been looking for a new challenge. He has won everything there is to win at Liverpool, and he may have been keen to try something new.
Third, Salah is a Muslim, and he may have been attracted to the idea of playing in a Muslim country.
Why did Liverpool block Salah’s departure?
Liverpool are one of the biggest clubs in the world, and they are not used to losing their best players. Salah is their star man, and they were clearly not willing to let him go without a fight.
Klopp has also spoken about the importance of keeping the squad together. He wants to build a team that can challenge for trophies for years to come, and he believes that Salah is an essential part of that plan.
What does the future hold for Salah?
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Salah. He is under contract with Liverpool until 2025, so he is not going to be able to leave without the club’s permission.
However, if Salah is determined to leave, it is possible that Liverpool could be forced to sell him next summer. They would not want to lose him for free, so they may be willing to cash in on him for a large transfer fee.
Mohamed Salah was reportedly ready to leave Liverpool for the Saudi Pro League in the summer of 2023, but the Anfield club blocked his departure. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Salah, but he is contracted to Liverpool until 2025.
