Bullish FSG make emphatic Mo Salah transfer decision as Liverpool star’s ONLY destination is named by two sources | OneFootball

Mohamed Salah will be told by Liverpool’s top brass that they have ZERO intention of allowing him to leave Anfield in January when they meet with his agent this week, though two sources have now made it clear exactly where the player wants to move if he does depart Merseyside.

Salah has played a leading role in the Reds’ success since arriving from Roma in 2017, blitzing his way to become their third top scorer of all time and helping Liverpool win a plethora of trophies.

But after a major falling out with Arne Slot after he was benched in three successive games, his future at Anfield was plunged into doubt after he publicly acknowledged his frustration, accusing the club of “throwing him under the bus”.

While there has since been a calming of the waters, allowing Salah to take part in Saturday’s win over Brighton, where he stepped off the bench after just 26 minutes to play a leading role in the win, there remain serious questions over his Anfield future. And the fact the 33-year-old did a somewhat emotional lap of honour at full-time on Saturday only fuelled talk that a parting of ways is imminent.

However, with his agent Ramy Abbas Issa due to fly into Merseyside for crunch talks with club officials to determine his client’s future, the trusted David Ornstein has made clear that Liverpool have absolutely no intention of allowing Salah to leave in January and, in fact, will make clear they want both parties to honour the two-year extension he inked over the summer.

“As I understand it, Liverpool fully intend to keep Mo Salah,” Ornstein stated.

“They want him to remain, not only in the January transfer window but beyond, until at least the end of the season.

“He’s under contract until the summer of 2027 and Liverpool feel that they showed their intentions very clearly by renewing him at great expense back in May.

“I think their view would be this has been brought about by Salah and his desire to be guaranteed regular football, and that’s not something that any club, certainly not Liverpool, despite the legendary status of Salah, are going to be willing to deliver.

“And that seems to be at the heart of this, at the centre of discussions, which Arne Slot said began before Leeds.

“So this wasn’t the great shock to Liverpool that some have made out – what was surprising was that he spoke out after Leeds and that forced them to act.”

If Salah truly wants to leave, then FSG will not make it easy, as Ornstein added: “However, they still feel the ball is in his court to decide what he wants to do here.

“If he really does want to go, is he going to come forward with some proposals?”

Mo Salah’s next destination named

Despite the impending talks between Abbas and FSG, our transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey has revealed that, in conversation with sources close to the situation, the player will absolutely not accept a regular place on Liverpool’s bench and it will be made clear that the 33-year-old feels he has done enough to warrant a regular start.

It was that reason alone that spurred his tantrum after the 3-3 draw against Leeds at Elland Road.

Furthermore, Bailey then revealed that Salah’s camp has already been approached by teams from six different leagues from around the world, all keen to understand more about his situation at Anfield.

However, what has also been made evidently clear is that Salah would only likely leave Anfield for one destination: Saudi Arabia.

Per our sources, while Salah has been ‘inundated’ with offers, his only focus, should he leave Anfield, is trained only on moving to the Gulf State, where it is not just the ludicrous sums of money on offer, but also the project on offer that appeals.

Now, a second source has backed up those claims, with football finance expert Adam Williams insisting he cannot foresee the player moving anywhere else.

Speaking on the Beyond the Back Four podcast, Williams said: “There was talk of a 150 million pounds offer [from Saudi Arabia].

“I’d be very surprised if we got to that level now in this environment. He’s got 18 months left on his contract. Saudi Arabia, they clearly can afford to go and spend 100 million if they wanted to, but I think they’re in a position now where they want the league to become sort of move in a more sustainable direction.

“You’re getting more private investment there. So, dropping stupid money on a player and showing the rest of the world that you’ve set this precedent that you could be held to ransom probably isn’t in their interests.

“All that said, they clearly have the resources to offer him a huge deal. And if it’s mutually beneficial for all three parties in the transaction, then I can see it happening.

“I can’t really see where else he would go. There was kind of talk about PSG at one point, but that’s not really their model anymore to sign the superstars, particularly ageing superstars.”

Meanwhile, Richard Hughes is being tipped to rectify a mistake he made in the summer transfer window by bolstering Arne Slot’s midfield engine room in the January window, with a talented box-to-box Italy international reportedly on the club’s radar.

Elsewhere, far-fetched reports originating in the Spanish media have made a shock claim about Florian Wirtz amid surprise claims his sale to Real Madrid is now being plotted for a discounted fee.

One player the Reds remain keen on is Marc Guehi. Now, amid claims that Manchester City have thundered to the front of the queue, sources have provided a significant update on the transfer race and named the 13 clubs that have now expressed an interest in his signing.