Liverpool Transfer News: PIF ready to BLOCK Mo Salah Saudi move

Liverpool find themselves on the brink of losing Mohamed Salah because of a situation of their own making.

The eight-season wonder is putting up elite numbers once again this season, yet he may end up departing Merseyside come May.

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After receiving a new deal in 2022, reportedly on £350,000 a week, Salah finally received his worth for consistently delivering world-class seasons for the Reds.

But now that the contract is in its final year, while the Egyptian is still putting up the same impressive numbers at the age of 32, Liverpool's owners once again have an important decision to make.

Salah's contract saga so far

While Liverpool fans around the world have been well aware of the urgency for a new deal to come Salah's way, there has been quiet concern that the Reds may lose their best player.

Discussions between the club and Salah's agent will no doubt have been ongoing for quite some time, a solution to this homemade crisis has yet to surface, and it isn't a straightforward decision to make.

At 32 years old, most other players would start to think about life after football, while trying to get the most out of their peak fitness years, but Salah remains as committed as ever.

His physical fitness is remarkable, topping the internal club tests during preseason and his output has yet to falter, despite his increasing age.

In addition, his wage simply can't go much higher if we consider what a new deal at Liverpool may look like, given that £350,000 a week is right at the top of what the elite European clubs offer.

But when Salah spoke to the press after Liverpool's win over Manchester United in September, where he made clear that this currently is his last year at the club, it sent shivers down the fanbase, so a difficult decision needs to be made at some point.

Allow Salah to leave and somehow begin to replace his output, either directly or with a few players, or break the wage structure and allow the Egyptian King to prolong his stay with the Reds.

Should the former happen, there will be no lack of potential suitors, and there is a potential development in Saudi Arabia should he want to move closer to home.

Neymar's standoff with Al-Hilal

Earlier this week, it appeared that Neymar's Saudi contract may be terminated in order to facilitate a move for the Brazilian winger to return to his home club Santos.

However, given the direct influence of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) within Al-Hilal - the fund owns 75% of the club - the decision to depart with such a standout player is not straightforward.

According to a report from the Portuguese website UOL, if the decision purely came down to the wishes of Al-Hilal, then Neymar would have a clear path to leave from January onwards.

"Internally, the Saudi club sees the Brazilian as dispensable and, above all, has many doubts about the player's medical and physical condition for the remaining six months of the season - and consequently the contract.

"The situation will be discussed in more concrete terms in the early days of 2025. For the player's part, for now, the idea is to fulfill the contract normally."

Any further movement on this situation is likely to have a direct knock-on effect on Salah's immediate future.

The Saudis have hardly been discreet in their ambition to have the Egyptian as the face of the Saudi Pro League and given the enormity of Salah's potential contract and the fact that he would be in closer proximity to his home country, a move is definitely a possibility.

The report goes on to say; "If Neymar's departure is confirmed soon, the Saudi club is eyeing another signing that will have a global impact on the attack.

"Some options are already being highly regarded, including the Egyptian Mohamed Salah, who will leave Liverpool, and the Portuguese Rafael Leão, one of Milan's standout players."

While Liverpool will be working tirelessly to ensure Salah doesn't go anywhere, the fact is that external news is likely to have an impact and although Neymar is not set to leave Saudi Arabia soon, his potential departure could subsequently create an opportunity.

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