ESPN: Liverpool Rejects Mo Salah $190M Transfer Bid from Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad
September 1, 2023
Liverpool reportedly rejected a transfer offer worth as much as £150 million ($190 million) from Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad for star forward Mo Salah on Friday.
According to ESPN's Mark Ogden, Al Ittihad have long coveted Salah, and they made their official offer Friday of £100 million with incentives for it to potentially grow to £150 million.
Liverpool reportedly shut down the offer and a club source told ESPN, "The player is not for sale," with regard to Salah.
Al Ittihad reportedly wanted to pair Salah with veteran striker Karim Benzema after signing the former Real Madrid star this summer. They also would have reunited Salah with former Liverpool teammate Fabinho.
Salah, 31, recently started his seventh season with the Reds after transferring from Serie A club Roma in 2017.
The Egyptian star has been a consistent performer, scoring 187 goals in 308 matches across all competitions for Liverpool. That included a career-high 44 goals in 2017-18, and he scored at least 30 goals in three consecutive campaigns entering the 2023-24 season.
Salah is under contract with Liverpool through 2025, and it isn't clear what his level of interest may have been in making a move to Al Ittihad.
During his time at Liverpool, Salah has enjoyed a great deal of success individually and with the team.
He has won the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and FA Community Shield one time each, plus he is a three-time winner of the Premier League Golden Boot as the EPL's leading goal scorer, and a one-time EPL Player of the Season.
Liverpool last won a Premier League title in 2020, and from 2019 through 2022, they finished third or better in the table each year.
The Reds dipped to fifth last season, but they figure to be contenders again in 2023-24 and are off to a strong start with two wins and one draw in three matches.
Salah and Liverpool will be back in action Sunday when they host Aston Villa at Anfield.