2 days Ago By The Telegraph
The Saudi Pro League (SPL) remains confident that Mohamed Salah is still considering joining them this summer. However, it is understood there is little chance the Liverpool forward will make the move to Al-Hilal ahead of the Club World Cup and has yet to agree a deal over his future. There is an offer on the table for Salah to extend his eight-year stay at Anfield but it is understood that lines of communication remain open with the SPL.
One senior source insisted that Salah “remains interested” in the SPL and that, although he has prioritised hearing what Liverpool have to offer, he still believes the Egyptian will be signed up this summer when his current deal expires. There had been hope, with Fifa deciding to introduce an “exceptional” transfer window from June 1 to June 10 – which has since been adopted by the Premier League – that Al-Hilal could sign Salah in time for the Club World Cup in the United States which starts on June 14. But that is not now expected to happen whatever Salah, whose current deal runs out on June 30, decides.
The SPL and Al-Hilal regard the tournament as an opportunity to promote the Saudi league and with the champions having let Neymar leave they wanted Salah to add more star quality to their squad. Liverpool rejected a bid of £150 million in 2023 from another Saudi club, Al-Ittihad, and the player, the most high-profile and successful Muslim footballer in the world, has remained a dream target. The decision for 32-year-old Salah is a clear one: does he remain at Liverpool and build on his legacy or does he leave for what would obviously be a far more lucrative offer but, effectively, take himself out of top-level football? There is a third option – and that is to still leave Liverpool but join another top European club, although that is regarded as the least likely outcome.
Salah is also a player obsessed with breaking records and Liverpool will hope this might sway his decision to stay with them. Given his incredible physical condition, Salah will most likely also be able to play at the highest level for several more seasons. The Egyptian is in outstanding form, of course, having scored 27 Premier League goals so far this season with nine games still to play, which is his best return since his debut campaign.
Ahead of Wednesday’s home Merseyside derby against Everton, Salah is one goal away from going ahead of former Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero as the highest-scoring non-English player in the Premier League – he currently has 184. More relevantly for him, perhaps, is the fact that Salah is now third on Liverpool’s all-time top goalscorers list with 243. Only Roger Hunt, with 285, and Ian Rush with 346 are ahead of him.
Overtaking Rush would, obviously, appear unlikely although it would be no surprise if Salah plays until his late 30s. The length of deal being offered to Salah, given his age, is likely to be one of the reasons why he has not yet agreed an extended stay at Liverpool, who have been prepared to bide their time and try not to force a decision. The same applies to 33-year-old captain Virgil van Dijk.
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