Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hits back at a reporter over Mohamed Salah transfer question ahead of the match against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has snapped at a reporter for asking a question regarding Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad’s interest in Mohamed Salah.
The German boss admitted that he isn’t concerned about the possibility of renewed interest from Saudi Arabia in the Egyptian winger when the January transfer window opens. The wealthy Middle Eastern club made a £200 million bid for the 31-year-old just before the Premier League transfer deadline on September 1.
The Reds turned down the offer, but Michael Emenalo, the director of football for the Saudi Pro League, has suggested that there’s still potential for a future move for the African star.
While Klopp is determined to retain Salah, there are rumours of a huge bid being prepared from Al-Ittihad in January as the Saudi league looks to make another high-profile signing alongside players like Neymar, Karim Benzema, and N’Golo Kante.
The manager had hoped that the situation would be resolved with the closing of the Saudi transfer window on September 7, but it remains delicate. Despite the ongoing speculation, the former AS Roma attacker has continued to perform well, scoring two goals and providing two assists this season.
However, Klopp didn’t appear to be pleased when questioned about Salah’s future in his pre-match press conference prior to Saturday’s match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. As quoted by the Daily Express (h/t transfer guru Fabrizio Romano), he said:
“You are kidding me, yeah? A week after it closed you ask me about the January transfer window? You can’t wait until December to ask these questions? I’m not worried about [Salah’s future] and [I] wasn’t until you opened the wound again. I’m not worried.”
During the summer, Liverpool have already seen the departures of midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Al-Ittihad and El-Ettifaq, respectively. Additionally, Roberto Firmino moved to Al-Ahli following the end of his contract at Anfield.
Meanwhile, Salah was the final player in the current Reds’ squad to be linked with a move away, and fans feared that the move may come to fruition if the club doesn’t intervene. The African star’s contract with the Anfield side will expire in June 2025.
The winger, who arrived from Roma in 2017, has scored an impressive 187 goals in 305 games for the English giants. He currently stands as the fifth-highest scorer in the club’s history, overtaking the legendary Steven Gerrard in the rankings after his recent goal against Bournemouth.
Salah is an important player on Klopp’s side, and his numbers speak for themselves. Although the Saud Pro League is ready to throw huge wealth at signing their desired target, money is not the ultimate solution for every club.
Liverpool were smart enough not to entertain such an offer since they had no intention of parting ways with their prized asset. The African honcho is still scoring crazy goals for his side and is actively involved in goal-scoring chances.
He is a role model for the young players in the squad, and finding a replacement for the former Serie A star is difficult. To let a player leave abruptly at such a point in the transfer window will only make matters worse for the club since they will be left short of a top-class right-winger in the squad.
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The fee offered by Al-Ittihad is huge, and to receive such a sum for a player who is past 30 is rare to see. But Liverpool have already lost an ample number of players to the Saudi League, and they won’t like to create an open door for the Middle Eastern clubs to come and get any players at their will.
Being resilient is what makes Klopp wise in handling his players at the club.
