"Already be working on a replacement" - Former Liverpool star makes bold claims about Mohamed Salah moving to Saudi Arabia next summer
Former Liverpool star Ronny Rosenthal believes Mohamed Salah will leave the club next summer. The Egypt international was the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia this summer.
Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad reportedly had a £150 million bid rejected for the 31-year-old winger. The Middle Eastern club then made a world-record offer of £225 million in the final stages of the transfer window, as per multiple reports.
However, the Merseyside club were unwilling to sell Salah as he formed a key part of Klopp's plans for the 2023/24 campaign. The Egyptian forward's existing contract at Anfield is set to expire in 2025, meaning he will only have a year left on his deal next summer.
Rosenthal believes Liverpool will be working on a replacement for their star winger, insisting that they would have offloaded him this year if they had signed one.
He told TEAMtalk:
“I think Salah would have been allowed to leave if the club had found a player with the right profile to replace him. They will be already be working on a replacement, knowing the importance of planning as the interest from Saudi Arabia will not be going away."
Rosenthal added:
“They will be wanting someone who can give at least 70 per cent of what Salah brings and clearly they didn’t find the right man before the last window closed."
"I’ll be happy to see that" - Rosenthal on Liverpool's chances of winning the Premier League this season
Rosenthal also spoke about Liverpool's chances of winning the Premier League this season. The retired Israeli forward does not see the Reds beating reigning champions Manchester City this term.
However, he does rate the Merseyside outfit's chances of finishing in the Champions League spots this campaign. Rosenthal said:
“I like the balance in the team this season and the recruitment has been very good. I think Manchester City will be difficult to stop, but I think Liverpool should achieve a top-four finish and I’ll be happy to see that.”
The Reds are currently fourth in the Premier League table after seven wins, two draws, and one loss in their first ten fixtures. Jurgen Klopp's side are one point behind third-placed Manchester City.