SAUDI side Al-Ittihad are “increasingly confident” of signing Liverpool superstar Mo Salah this summer, according to reports.
And if the deal is agreed, Salah will become the highest paid star in world football – with a salary that surpasses that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al-Ittihad are reportedly ready to offer the Egyptian winger a deal that would eclipse the £173million salary of Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and pay Liverpool £86m – a Saudi record – for his services.
At present, Ronaldo – the pioneer and poster boy for the Saudi league – is the highest paid athlete in the world.
The ex-Manchester United striker’s deal is worth a staggering £3.4m-per-week, which he penned until June 2025.
And current Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema earns an astonishing £3.3m-per- week.
Neymar signed a deal that sees him earn £2.5m a week with Al-Hilal, who paid an initial £77.6m to sign the playmaker from PSG.
But if Salah does make the move to the Gulf nation – he will earn more than all of the aforementioned names.
Salah, 31, has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia for the last few weeks.
And now The Athletic’s David Ornstein has reported that Al-Ittihad have a concrete interest in signing him from Liverpool.
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Liverpool have no plans to sell their forward, who remains central to their plans this season, while his agent has insisted he’s committed to Anfield.
However, on Thursday morning, it was reported that Salah could be leaning towards changing his mind.
According to Saudi website Arriyadiyah, the winger is now considering the offer very seriously.
Al-Ittihad representatives have allegedly met with Salah’s representatives to discuss the deal.
As such, the Saudi club are increasingly confident of signing him before the summer transfer window shuts on September 20.
But they are facing a race against time as the Premier League transfer window is due to shut in less than a week’s time.
If Liverpool end up accepting it, it will break the Saudi record and make the Egyptian the most expensive player in the league’s history.
Journalist Rudy Galetti wrote: “Al Ittihad won’t give up for Salah: the club sent a huge offer to convince especially Klopp – who rejected the idea of his farewell so far – to let him go”.
Salah only signed a new three-year contract last summer, which made him the highest-paid player in Liverpool’s history on around £350,000 per week.
The Reds have already lost Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia.
But Salah would represent the biggest coup of the three- given that the forward is still at the peak of his powers.
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The clubs have not entered into any formal talks, but the Saudi side is confident that he could be lured by the prospect of playing in a Muslim country.
The talented talisman has scored 187 goals for the Reds, while helping his side to a Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Community Shield and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
