Al-Ittihad to offer Liverpool world-record £215m transfer deal for Mohamed Salah

Jurgen Klopp will be hard pressed to convince Liverpool FC to turn down a world-record transfer bid for star striker Mohamed Salah worth an astonishing £215 million. The saga continues as Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad improves its offer which has previously been rejected by the club.

The European transfer window ended a few days ago, but the Saudi window remains open until Thursday, leaving Liverpool and other Premier League clubs vulnerable. As a result, Al-Ittihad representatives are still able to make attempts to swoop in for the Egyptian striker.

According to multiple reports, the Al-Ittihad execs have flown into the UK carrying the eye-watering offer. An initial bid worth £170 million was previously rejected, but now the Saudis are prepared to put £215 million on the table including add-ons. The player will receive a salary of £2.45 million a week plus other bonuses. It is a difficult offer to refuse, but Salah has not made his intentions known to the general public, and it is unclear what he has discussed with Liverpool.

The deal will reportedly include a percentage of merchandise sales, along with performance bonuses. It has long been known that the Egyptian star is also being eyed to take on roles as an ambassador for the Saudi Pro League, and the country's tourism and investments campaign.

Klopp is determined to keep his man

Salah has largely been soldiering on as a Liverpool player, and it is unclear if he is keen on taking the lucrative deal. Klopp is the most vocal in this situation, with the manager making it clear that he does not want to let go of his prolific attacker. However, it won't be surprising if Liverpool executives are feeling torn over the big money deal.

Meanwhile, the Premier League season is already well underway, and Salah has started all of Liverpool's Premier League games so far. He has scored two goals and made two assists in four games, making it clear that he is still a valuable part of the lineup.

Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah has made 309 appearances for the club, and has helped them win the UEFA Champions League (2018-19), the Premier League (2019-2020), the FA Cup (2022), League Cup (2022), FIFA Club World Cup (2919) as well as the UEFA Super Cup (2019-2020). He was also named as the African footballer of the year twice in 2017 and 2018 and the footballer of the year in England in 2018 and 2022.

Why is Al-Ittihad desperate to land Salah?

Earlier this summer, the Saudi Pro League champions were able to convince Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema to make the move to the Middle East. Many were shocked by the decision, especially since he was still at the peak of his career with the European giants. However, the salary of £200 million per season made it easy for anyone to understand the choice made by the Frenchman.

However, with someone like Benzema already in their roster, it is unclear why Al-Ittihad are keen on signing Salah. Recent reports about a rift between Benzema and manager Nuno Espirito Santo may have something to do with it, but the Portuguese manager has already denied the claims. It was rumored that Nuno did not think that Benzema suited his tactical system, but he has since clarified in a press conference that he is happy to have the Ballon d'Or winner in the the squad and that his relationship with the entire dressing room remains strong.

Saudi Arabia determined to become a sports behemoth

The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in January this year certainly put the spotlight in the country, and this summer has been a flurry of activity with numerous big names arriving on mouthwatering deals.

However, Saudi Arabia has not only made waves in football in recent years. They have also shaken up the golfing community with their LIV Golf series, and they have also started hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Jeddah.

The country is reportedly preparing a bid to host the FIFA World Cup, and many of these new signings have also been offered ambassadorial roles.