Al Ittihad’s offer of up to £150 million ($190 million) for Mohamed Salah has been rebuffed by Liverpool, according to ESPN sources.
Salah, 31 years old, has been the subject of intense rumors linking him to the Saudi champions in recent weeks, despite Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s insistence that the player would not be permitted to depart Anfield.
Liverpool had acknowledged that they were aware of Al Ittihad’s interest in the Egypt international, but no formal offer to acquire the former Chelsea and AS Roma forward had been made.
Al Ittihad eventually made their move on Friday morning, making an initial offer of £100 million to Liverpool for Mohamed Salah, with additional incentives bringing the total to £150 million.
The offer for Salah has been rejected, according to sources who spoke to ESPN, and the matter is now concluded, with a Liverpool source telling ESPN that “the player is not for sale.”
Al Ittihad desired to combine Mohamed Salah with reigning Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, who joined the Jeddah-based club from Real Madrid earlier this summer as a free agent.
Salah would have reunited with former teammate Fabinho, who left Anfield for Al Ittihad during this transfer window, but Liverpool has ruled out a deal.
Klopp stated earlier on Friday that he is still concerned about the threat posed by Saudi Arabian clubs as their transfer window remains open until mid-September.
Salah, who is contracted to Liverpool until June 2025, has not commented on Al Ittihad’s interest.