Liverpool legend predicts Salah exit timeline amid claims £150m Klopp favourite has ‘agreed’ transfer
Liverpool legend John Barnes cannot see Mohamed Salah leaving the Premier League giants before his current contract ends in 2025.
Salah was the subject of serious interest from the Saudi Pro League during the summer transfer window and Al-Ittihad failed with a £150m at the start of September.
It was reported at the time that Al-Ittihad were planning to make an improved £200m offer but this was not submitted before deadline day. Instead, they are expected to renew their interest in Salah either in January or next summer.
Salah still has two years remaining on his Liverpool contract and he has been in stunning form at the start of this campaign. The 31-year-old is showing no sign of slowing down as he has ten goals and four assists in 12 Premier League games this term.
Earlier this month, it was claimed by Football Insider that Salah’s move to Al-Ittihad has already been ‘agreed in principle’ with ‘a bid of £150million-plus’ expected to ‘land the forward at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.’
Despite this, Barnes suspects Salah will “stay at Liverpool for the next two years”.
“We know the situation with Mo Salah, he’s a hero for Muslims all over the world, and he’ll be a hero in Saudi Arabia. But he’s said he wants to stay at Liverpool for the remainder of his contract. I’m sure that opportunity for Saudi Arabia will arise, as for when, we don’t know,” Barnes said at a Quality Street sustainability campaign.
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“I expect him to stay at Liverpool for the next two years, if it changes, then it changes. He didn’t go because he wanted to stay and Liverpool wanted to keep him. He’ll be 32, 33 at the end of his contract so I don’t think (him going) is for the immediate future – in January or next summer.”
It will be difficult for Liverpool to replace Salah when he does leave, but Tony Cascarino thinks Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo – who has eight goal involvements in 12 games this term – would be a suitable successor.
“If Mohamed Salah ever leaves Liverpool, the club should go and buy Bryan Mbeumo as his replacement,” Cascarino wrote for The Times.
“At only 24, his best years are ahead of him and he has all the attributes to succeed at a club of Liverpool’s stature: he is versatile, durable and counterattacks with real ferocity,” Cascarino claimed via his column for The Times.
“He has increased his goal output, with nine in the Premier League last season and six in only ten appearances this year, including the tap-in to an empty net that wrapped up Brentford’s 2-0 win away to Chelsea.”
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