As of today, Mo Salah will no longer be a Liverpool player in exactly three months’ time…unless, of course, he signs a new contract before the end of June.
Speculation about his future has been rife for the past year, although reports from numerous sources in recent days suggest that he’s strongly leaning towards staying at Anfield.
David Ornstein reported last week that FSG are ‘optimistic’ that the 32-year-old and Virgil van Dijk will extend their contracts, while trustworthy sources from Egypt have claimed that talks over a contract renewal for the winger are ‘much more advanced’ than at any previous stage.
However, if Liverpool fans are tempted to get the champagne ready in response to those reports, another twist today might stop them in their tracks.
Saudi chiefs confident of luring Salah
According to The Telegraph, Saudi Pro League (SPL) chiefs remain confident that Salah is still considering a move to the Middle East this summer, with lines of communication believed to be open between them and the player.
However, with the Egyptian undecided over his future, it’s deemed unlikely that Al-Hilal will sign him ahead of the Club World Cup in mid-June, even if the 32-year-old ultimately opts for a move to the Riyadh-based outfit.
FSG, please just get Salah to stay at Liverpool already!
On first glance this might seem like a horrible April Fools’ Day prank is being played on Liverpool supporters, and hopefully that’s all it is.
It should also be stressed that the report isn’t strictly stating that Salah is eyeing a move to Saudi Arabia, but rather communicating the view from within the SPL that they feel confident of snapping him up this summer.
We’d still be more inclined to take Ornstein’s word that Anfield chiefs are optimistic about keeping hold of the winger, given the journalist’s reliability as a source on transfer news. Also, it’s worth noting a report from Football Insider that the Egyptian is keen to stay with the Reds, but he wants more than a short-term deal.
Whatever the truth may be, the apparent confidence from within Saudi Arabia of pulling off this most lucrative of coups serves only to keep Liverpool fans on tenterhooks as uncertainty continues to abound over the 32-year-old’s immediate future.
Please, FSG, just sort things out with Salah so that we can all rest easy and enjoy watching his goalscoring exploits on Merseyside for at least another season (hopefully more!).
