Saudi club Al-Ittihad ready to offer £200MILLION for Mohamed Salah, setting new world transfer record, after Liverpool rejected £150m bid… and will carry on pushing for a deal next week

Al-Ittihad are ready to spend up to £200 million in their bid to win Mohamed Salah from Liverpool.

The Anfield club have turned down a £150 million bid, but that hasn’t deterred the Saudi Pro League club, who will continue to push for Salah until their spell closes on September 7.

Mail Sport reported earlier this week that, despite Liverpool’s continued opposition and Jurgen Klopp’s determination to keep his talisman forward, the Saudis want Salah as the symbol of the new project and are willing to pay the £198 million that Paris St Germain Barcelona in 2017 paid for Neymar to sever.

Talks have been going on for months but have intensified in recent days, with the Saudi pro League hierarchy settling down in Cannes in the south of France to hold negotiations.

Liverpool director Mike Gordon rejected proposals on Thursday evening and today they reiterated that the 31-year-old is not for sale and consider the matter closed.

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Salah, who scored 30 goals in all competitions for Liverpool last season, is part of the club’s leading squad and signed a new three-year contract last summer, making him the highest-paid player in Liverpool’s history.

Klopp has admitted he is concerned about the wages being offered to players and that the Saudi window is left open longer so they can continue to distract players with what is on offer.

Liverpool are all too aware that there may come a time when the economy comes to dominate the direct sporting project for Salah.

Liverpool staff have polled agents to determine who is available in the market, but finding a player of the caliber to replace such an artist is difficult at this stage, hence their stance so far.

The clubs continue to insist that all offers for the 31-year-old will be rejected, given Salah’s importance to Jürgen Klopp’s side and the late transfer window.

One of the big concerns for Liverpool is that the European transfer market will close at 11pm on Friday, September 1, while the Saudi market will remain open until September 7.

The Reds have been looking at possible substitutions for the past 48 hours but have not confirmed anything in their bid to keep Salah.

Salah’s status as the world’s greatest Arab athlete is fueling Saudi Arabia’s pursuit, with Al-Ittihad apparently willing to push through to the final hour on Friday.

However, Liverpool are in no rush to sell as the player has two years left on his existing contract.

Salah would easily be Saudi Arabia’s biggest coup of the summer, having already brought Brazilian star Neymar to the country from Paris Saint-Germain in August.

Al-Ittihad’s negotiations continue the trend of targeting Liverpool players with lucrative moves to the Middle East, following a number of other big names at Anfield for the riches the Kingdom has to offer.

Jordan Henderson gave up the club captaincy to join Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq, while Fabinho and Roberto Firmino also secured exits.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and central defender Ibrahima Konate were also the subject of interest, but were keen to continue with the Premier League giants.

Talk about Mail Sports It all starts with the transfer showChief football reporter Mokbel does not think Salah will be sold, but says the club is looking at possible deals if they have to step into the market.

“I think ideally they don’t want to sell him. Jürgen Klopp absolutely does not want to sell him,” said Mokbel.

“But my information is that they may have put themselves in a position to strike at certain attackers who might be available in the market before Mo Salah’s eventual departure.

“As much as they’d like to keep him, I don’t think it’s out of the question for him to go to Saudi Arabia.”