Al Ittihad have considered signing former Everton striker Richarlison from Tottenham Hotspur after it became clear that Liverpool were not willing to sell Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool were pushed their limits but when Thursday’s Saudi Pro League deadline passed, they had successfully warded off Al Ittihad’s interest in Mohamed Salah.
Not many clubs could make the same claim as plenty gave into the riches placed on the table in exchange for their star players. But Salah is just different, paramount to the Reds side.
That is why when Al Ittihad openly courted the Egyptian, the feedback they got was a firm no. When they sent an offer rising to £150m on the Premier League’s transfer deadline day, they got a firm no. And finally when rumours circled of a £200m counter proposal up until the Saudi Pro League’s deadline, the response would have been a firm no again.
Jurgen Klopp’s task is to get his Liverpool team back competing at the very top after a stagnant 2022/23 season resulted in a fifth-placed finish and a drop into the Europa League.
Collective disappointment was not enough to prevent Salah’s goalscoring endeavours, though, as he returned 30 goals and 16 assists in 51 matches.
So with the benefit of a rejuvenated midfield, Reds boss Klopp will need all the help he can get to achieve the team’s seasonal goal, and £200m in the bank and no Salah would not have been of much use as a signing would have only been possible in January at the very soonest.
This would have been a setback to Al Ittihad and the Saudi regime as they want to tempt one of the world’s current greatest attackers to spearhead their competition. There have been suggestions they will return before the Liverpool No.11’s deal expires in
2025, however. But so too has there been a new idea of Al Ittihad seeking alternatives with Anfield chiefs unwilling to strike a deal.
The Telegraph’s latest revelation is that the Saudi club’s delegates made a contingency plan in the form of Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison.
An old adversary of Liverpool from his Everton days, the Brazilian suffered a disappointing maiden campaign in North London following his £60m transfer from Goodison Park, scoring only one top-flight goal. Reds supporters will know about that all too well, as it preceded a dramatic stoppage-time winner courtesy of Diogo Jota back in April.
Now claimed to be on the radar of the Al Ittihad, it is said Richarlison was enquired about deep into Thursday’s deadline, however time ran out at 10pm BST with little progression made in the way of talks and no official offer sent the way of Daniel Levy.