“He’ll be the face of the football there” - Agbonlahor reveals Liverpool star set to earn more than Cristiano Ronaldo in ‘record’ deal with Saudi club
Former footballer and pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has revealed that Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. The Egyptian winger has been widely linked to a move to the Middle East, and Agbonlahor has now claimed that it will happen when the current season ends. The pundit also revealed that Salah would earn more than Ronaldo.
It is no secret that Salah's contract with Liverpool is nearing an end. While the forward has openly made it clear that he is happy at Anfield, this has not abated rumors and links to clubs like Al-Ittihad. The Saudi Arabian giants had pushed to sign Salah in the summer of 2023, offering a stunning £150 million total, but Liverpool rejected the deal (via Mirror).
Now, Gabriel Agbonlahor has opened up on the rumors regarding a move to Saudi Arabia on a live show on talkSPORT (via CaughtOffside):
“I know Salah’s going. I’ve got a source that told me Salah’s definitely going. Saudi, on a record contract. I’m hearing that he will earn more than Cristiano Ronaldo, he’ll be the face of the football over there."
The pundit continued, without naming the club that had offered the Egyptian winger a contract:
"You can’t turn that down if you’re Mo Salah. He’s done everything at Liverpool, hasn’t he? I think he would have signed a new contract by now [if he was staying], and it’s an offer he can’t turn down."
It will not be too surprising if Saudi Arabian clubs make a move for Salah again, especially with his contract set to expire in less than a year. However, it will raise eyebrows if he is offered a mega-deal to earn more than what Ronaldo does. After all, the legendary striker takes home a mind-numbing £173 million each year (via Metro).
Former Liverpool defender urges Cristiano Ronaldo to retire
Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson has urged Cristiano Ronaldo to hang up his boots at the end of this season. Ronaldo, now 39 years old, remains an active part of Saudi club Al-Nassr, while captaining the Portugal national team.
It is worth noting that the legendary striker recently hit 900 career goals - the first player in history to hit that milestone. He may be looking to reach the 1000-goal mark, but Mark Lawrenson does not think the forward should go on for much longer. He said to Paddy Power (via Daily Post):
“Cristiano Ronaldo is still scoring in Saudi Arabia, but would he sign a new contract there? I’m not sure. This is when I think he needs a best mate who says, ‘You’ve had an unbelievable run, and maybe at the end of this season, just hang your boots up and let people remember you for what you’ve done."
This season, Ronaldo has scored four goals and provided one assist in five Saudi Pro League games for Al-Nassr. He will look to partake in their next match against Al-Rayyan on Monday, September 30.