Klopp sweating as gigantic new Salah bid prepared after Saudis alter transfer strategy

Liverpool are expected to field a new bid for Mohamed Salah in 2024, and a report has detailed the Saudi Pro League’s new transfer strategy that they hope can lure the Egyptian away from Anfield.

Liverpool received a verbal offer from Al-Ittihad worth a whopping £150m for their electric winger in the summer window. The Reds had zero intention of selling arguably their best player and duly rebuffed the approach.

However, the story isn’t likely to end there and Salah’s contract status has heightened speculation Liverpool might reluctantly cash in.

Some sections of the media have claimed the 31-year-old is leaning towards extending his stay at Anfield.

But those claims haven’t been widely reported and with Salah’s contract due to expire in 2025, a lucrative sale in 2024 could appeal to Liverpool owners FSG.

Selling Salah for £150m-plus would represent tremendous business for The Reds. Salah will turn 32 in June and while he’s shown no signs of decline just yet, time catches up to all footballers eventually.

Now, according to ESPN, Liverpool are in line to receive another bid for their most potent attacker in January.

The report declared ‘Al Ittihad are expected to return with a new bid for Mohamed Salah’.

ESPN also carried lengthy quotes from the Saudi Pro League’s director of football, Michael Emenalo.

The former Chelsea chief outlined the SPL’s stance on raiding European clubs moving forwards.

According to Emenalo, the seemingly scattergun approach deployed by Saudi sides will now be ditched in favour of targeting the game’s truly top tier players.

A handful of superstar names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar have already made the jump. However, all three are widely believed to be past their prime.

What Saudi transfer strategy will look like moving forwards

“Whatever additional improvement that we need to do for any club, with time on our hands and preparation, we believe will be additions of the highest level,” said Emenalo.

“I’m hoping it [January] is not very busy, because I think the job that was done has been quite interesting and aggressive, and most of the clubs, I believe, have what they need.

“Hopefully the attention will now turn to work within the training facilities to improve these players and to allow the time to adapt and perform.

“I think we accomplished what we wanted to accomplish, which was to get our foot into the market and compete aggressively. But, also, we wanted to do that while giving every single club in the league an opportunity to improve. I believe we accomplished that.

“And I believe that, what you’re seeing, in terms of the quality of the games and the performance of most of the acquired international players, is a vindication that the transfer market has been relatively well. And we hope that we will continue to perfect our process in the future.”

Saudi sights set on 2034 World Cup

Emenalo went on to suggest acquisitions of lower profile overseas stars will now be put on the backburner.

Per ESPN, part of the overarching strategy is with a view to giving Saudi Arabia a fighting chance for the home World Cup in 2034.

If the SPL were to recruit too many foreign players, for example, the Saudi stars would be lost in the shuffle.

As such, only the truly top tier deals will be targeted from now on and few fit that billing better than Salah.

“We know we are attracting world-class players now; we know we have attracted local players who are interested in reaching incredible standards for their clubs and for the national team,” continued Emenalo.

“And for them to do that, for them to be developed in the right way, the amenities and the infrastructures must be at the highest level.

“We’ve seen in places like England: that sudden infusion of world-class players in the league has led to the development of local, world class players, and I think that’s what is going to happen here.

“But you have to grow these players, and when you use the word ‘grow’ or ‘develop’, it means you have to look at the academies, you have to look at the younger ages. That’s where the development of the process starts.

“I’ve always explained, privately and publicly, that top-level footballers are incredible and unique artists, and what they can do, you can only dream of until you try to do it, when you realise how difficult it is.

“Those guys are exceptional artists, and the artists as time goes on will be greatly appreciated and copied by youngsters in the country and that will be for the good of everyone.”

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