25 August 2023 , 08:51
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Jurgen Klopp says that Liverpool are yet to receive an offer from Saudi Arabia for Mohamed Salah, insisting that the Anfield hero is "100 per cent" committed to his current club.
Salah, 31, is the subject of concrete interest from Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad, who are reportedly preparing an eye-watering bid worth £100million. Liverpool are adamant that the Egyptian forward isn't for sale, though, having signed a new three-year contract with the Reds last summer which keeps him at Anfield until 2025.
Klopp has now warned Al Ittihad and any other suitors off, declaring ahead of Sunday's trip to Newcastle : "There's nothing to talk about from our point of view, Mo Salah is a Liverpool player, if there would be something the answer would be no." When asked if Salah was fully committed to Liverpool, the Reds boss emphatically replied: "100 per cent."
Salah's agent recently shut down links of a move to Saudi prior to fresh reports of Al Ittihad's interest. "If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn't have renewed the contract last summer," Ramy Abbas tweeted. "Mohamed remains committed to LFC."
The 31-year-old's new deal in 2022 made him the highest-paid player in Liverpool's history, earning around £350,000 per week, and he's so far shown no indication that he wants to leave. Two of Salah's former Reds team-mates, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, have Anfield to join Saudi clubs earlier this summer.
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Henderson has signed for Al Ettifaq, where Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is manager. Gerrard was asked if he'd like to sign Salah but laughed: "No! The answer is no because Mohamed Salah is my favourite player, I love Liverpool Football Club, so Mohamed can stay where he is. When he wins more leagues and more Champions Leagues with Liverpool, we'll maybe consider it."
Mohamed Salah has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia (George Wood/Getty Images) Have your say! Should Liverpool consider selling Mohamed Salah if an offer comes in? Let us know in the comments section.
On top of being probed about Salah ahead of his side's journey to Newcastle, Klopp was quizzed on the Saudi situation as a whole. Clubs have been splashing the cash all summer and giving European teams no option but to sell - like in Fabinho and Henderson's cases.
"It's not cool for us, that's clear," Klopp admitted. "If we want a player from Wigan Athletic, say, we go there and we pay the price. It's the same in the Bundesliga... Now there's a next level and it's not great but this is part of the business. I'm not sure you can change that."
"What makes it impossible to deal with is our transfer window closes [next Friday] and they stay open [until September 20]. Then we play until January 1 and this is our squad, we have that problem. I remember something like this in Russia long time ago. That was not completely crazy money. It's new and challenging."
"I am pretty sure FIFA could change their deadline like this (clicks finger) but I am not sure they want to."