The Saudi sharks appear to be circling Premier League waters once again – and this time, they’re closing in on Merseyside.
Mohamed Salah has endured a frustrating start to the season, scoring just four goals in 12 games and falling short of the standards Liverpool fans have come to expect from him.
Add to that the fact that Arne Slot has recently dropped the Egyptian from his starting line-up, and it was almost inevitable that Saudi clubs would renew their interest.
Here, Transfer News Blitz writer Taylor Stephenson breaks down the latest rumours and weighs in on whether now might finally be the right time for Salah to move on from Liverpool.
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Story so far
For much of last season, the dominant narrative was whether Salah would commit his future to Liverpool amid interest from other clubs.
The Egyptian reportedly turned down a small fortune of a £500 million offer from Saudi Arabia to sign a new two-year deal at Anfield – so much for loyalty being dead in football!
But at 33, Salah has struggled to hit the heights of his previous seasons in England.
Slot even benched the out-of-form winger against West Ham at the weekend – and Liverpool went on to win without him.
Naturally, that decision has only added fuel to the fire about a potential departure.
Saudis set sights
Despite Salah’s dip in form, several Saudi clubs are said to remain keen, with Al Hilal supposedly leading the chase.
Normally, this would be the point where I break down why the move is unlikely, but logic tends to go out the window when it comes to Saudi spending power.
They operate like spoiled kids on Christmas: they want the toy, and they’ll kick and scream until they get it. Their pursuit of Salah has been years in the making, and they have been very open about their desire to obtain him.
From Liverpool’s perspective, the situation is more complicated. Salah is 33; he’s not getting younger, he’s on a massive contract, and the club may question whether that money could be better invested elsewhere.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting he’s finished, far from it. Knowing my luck, he’ll probably rediscover his form tonight against Sunderland.
But if his struggles continue, and the Saudis are prepared to take him off Liverpool’s hands for a sizeable fee, it may be the right moment for the Reds to make a pragmatic decision and reinvest.
Hopefully, they avoid another Florian Wirtz situation if they do reinvest.
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