Confidence remains in Saudi Arabia that Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah will join their league at some stage.
Saudi side Al Ittihad have famously been trying to sign Salah this summer. But having seen a verbal offer of up to £150m rejected by Liverpool, their transfer deadline has now passed. Mo will be staying at Anfield.
Nevertheless, according to The Athletic, this has not put anyone in the country off from snaring the Reds forward.
On the contrary, it’s claimed that Salah’s arrival is now seen as a matter of inevitability. It’s reportedly felt to be a ‘question of when, not if’ in Riyadh.
Well, we’ll see what Liverpool have to say about that.
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Salah move feeling inevitable
In the face of enormous interest and media pressure, Liverpool stood firm on Salah this summer. But it would be naïve to think that this saga is now over.
Initially, an attempt from the Saudis had always felt more likely to come next summer anyway. In that respect, not much has changed. But should we really feel so resigned to losing our star man?
This isn’t something new for Liverpool fans. Many will have had the same feeling of inevitability during Luis Suarez’s final season at the club.
Having been denied a move to Arsenal in 2013, the Uruguayan was always going to leave a year later. After buckling down, Suarez delivered one of the greatest individual seasons the Premier League has ever witnessed, dragging Liverpool within a whisker of the title.
Having given all he had, he left for Barcelona with the reluctant well-wishes of everyone connected to the Reds.
But Salah’s story is different. Liverpool aren’t quite the force they’ve been during much of his stay at Anfield, but they’re still a team full of stars. Mo may at times shine brighter than any – he is ‘unbelievable’ – but he doesn’t have to leave to achieve his goals.
He also wouldn’t be making a step up in footballing terms, as Suarez was at the time. So, there shouldn’t be an acceptance from Liverpool that this is bound to happen. Of course, much will depend on how Mo himself feels. If the Reds can get back to challenging this season, perhaps he’ll get the bug to stay. Here’s hoping, anyway.