Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, is preparing his team for the new season and is desperate for one guy to be part of it.
Liverpool have vowed that they will do all possible to keep Mohamed Salah at the club, ruling out the idea of selling the Egyptian this summer as he enters the final year of his Anfield deal.
According to Sky Sports, the 32-year-old was the target of intense transfer interest from Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad last summer, and the Reds turned down the opportunity to sell the winger for a club record fee of about £170 million in the final weeks of the window.
The site also alleged at the time that the Saudis were willing to pay a world record transfer fee of £200 million to sign Salah during that window, but a resolute Liverpool were able to keep their prized asset.
Salah joined Liverpool from AS Roma in the summer of 2017 and has been a revelation since. In his debut year, he eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer’s records most goals in a 38-game season by scoring 32 in 36 games while playing as a winger.
The next season, he won his first big honour in a Liverpool shirt, helping the club win the Champions League by scoring in the final against Tottenham.
The attacker has remained inspiring, helping the club win the Premier League, FA Cup, and two League Cups; he has been named team of the season three times and won the PFA Player of the Year award twice.
Overall, he has 155 goals and 68 assists in the league; including 18 goals last season as the Merseyside giants claimed top four and a place in Europe’s elite competition once more.
New manager Arne Slot wants Salah to stay with his team next season as he attempts to replace fan favourite Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool dugout. Liverpool’s new backroom team, Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes, and Julian Ward, told the Mirror that they are working hard to finalise a deal with Salah but will not reveal the status of the talks because they do not want to distract Slot as he settles into his new surroundings.
Hughes stated: “These are private masters between the club and the players.” The only concern I and Arne have regarding situations is that players commit fully to the cause next season, which we are confident will happen.”
Liverpool are unwilling to listen to any bids to move Salah at this time and risk losing the player on a free transfer in the summer if a deal is not made.
The Reds kick off their season on Saturday, August 17, against newcomers Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
