Saudi shift bodes well for Liverpool to retain first XI superstar

Liverpool are keen to keep star forward Mohamed Salah despite him entering the final year of his contract

Liverpool have been given a big boost in their quest to keep hold of superstar Mohamed Salah, with French outlet Foot Mercato claiming Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad eyeing a swoop for Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby.

Mohamed Salah has entered the final year of his contract at Anfield. While there are no current negotiations over fresh terms, Liverpool have made it clear that they do not intend to cash in on the Egypt king this summer. This means the Reds are planning with the mercurial forward for next season as they enter the Arne Slot era.

Having rejected an eye-watering £150m from Al-Ittihad on last summer’s transfer deadline day, it was always expected that the Saudi Pro League club would revive their interest in Salah ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. Unsurprisingly, they have been on the forward’s trail since May, making his signing a priority for their booming project.

Arne Slot 🫂 Mohamed Salah

What do you think was being said when these two met for the first time? 🔴 pic.twitter.com/oMAKZKRraT
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 10, 2024

However, Al-Ittihad have supposedly changed their transfer plans following the sacking of coach Marcelo Gallardo. The aforementioned report claims the People’s Club have shifted their focus towards bringing in Aston Villa’s Moussa Diaby, potentially cooling their interest in Salah.

This comes as good news for Liverpool and Arne Slot, who is looking to rebuild the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp. While the club’s summer transfer window is yet to kickstart, it feels only a matter of time before we start bringing in fresh faces to make Slot’s squad competitive for the 2024/25 campaign.

Salah has been among the best players in the Premier League in the last five years. He has plundered 211 goals in just 349 appearances across all competitions for the Reds since arriving from AS Roma in 2017, underlining his value to the club. Despite not hitting the best of forms during the second half of last season, he still ended up being the club’s top scorer with 25 goals. On top of that, the forward also bagged 14 assists in 44 games.

Liverpool are keen to keep star forward Mohamed Salah despite him entering the final year of his contract. — Liverpool have made a bold decision not to sell Mohamed Salah with less than 12 months left on his current contract

Liverpool needs to maintain the core group of players during this period of transition. Plus, it is always difficult to replace a consistent 20-plus goal-getter, which Salah has been for many years now. Slot ideally would loathe to lose the Egypt captain because of his ruthless goalscoring ability, leadership, experience and the value he brings to the side.

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That said, Al-Ittihad shifting their focus from Salah to Diaby should be music to the ears of our fans, Slot and the club. it will be intriguing to see whether we offer the 32-year-old a new deal or keep him and let him walk on a free next year.