19 January 2023 , 13:10
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Mohamed Salah allegedly had lunch with Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi amid reports of Qatar potentially investing in the Merseyside club.
The Egyptian forward is said to have dined with the PSG chief at the swanky Ritz Restaurant in central London earlier this month. It is unclear when the lunch took place, although it has been suggested in Qatar that the meeting occurred around the Red's 3-1 Premier League defeat by Brentford in the capital.
It comes as Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), who owns French club PSG, is hopeful of investing in a Premier League club. Al-Khelaifi, the QSI chairman, met with Tottenham chief Daniel Levy earlier this month in London as they consider buying a minority stake in the north London outfit.
Spurs are on the lookout for more investment with Levy facing growing discontent from fans. However, it emerged in November that Liverpool's American owners are keen to sell the club. They have retained Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to assist with the process of selling as they gauge interest and invite offers.
FSG partner Sam Kennedy told The Boston Globe there has been a "lot of interest" in investing in the Reds. Yet a report in The Athletic claims that Liverpool's stance on a sale has now changed and they are increasingly likely to sell a minority stake in the club rather than sanction a full takeover. No discussions with potential investors are at an advanced stage.
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With the Merseyside club now swaying towards selling a minority stake, rather than an outright sale, that may increase the likelihood of QSI buying the club. It is claimed that the Reds were initially not on QSI's radar due to their interest in a full sale but their switch to openness to a minority investment may shift the dial.
Mohamed Salah allegedly had lunch with Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi (Getty Images)Salah's alleged meeting with Al-Khelaifi may well have been a chance occurrence; the PSG chief is often in the English capital as this is the location of the UK branch of BeIN Media Group - of which he is also the president.
There is no suggestion that Salah may have met Al-Khelaifi over any potential transfer. The Egyptian forward only renewed his contract at Anfield last summer, keeping him at the club until 2025 in an agreement that makes him the highest-paid player in the club's history with wages in excess of £350,000 per week.
The former Chelsea Fiorentina and AS Roma forward has been a key man for Liverpool since joining from the Italian club in 2017, helping Jurgen Klopp's side win the Premier League and Champions League among other trophies.