Michael Emenalo, the Director of Football for the Saudi Pro League, recently addressed the possibility of acquiring Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
Emenalo acknowledged the difficulty of convincing Salah to join the league in January, considering the fierce competition and the player’s existing commitments.
During the summer transfer window, the Saudi Pro League gained attention for its substantial financial investments, securing prominent European football figures with lucrative contracts.
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Notably, Al-Ittihad made a significant £150 million bid for Salah, offering £100 million upfront and an additional £50 million in add-ons, but Liverpool turned down the proposal.
Emenalo, who had previously voiced the league’s ambition to attract top-tier players, disclosed in August that more significant spending was on the horizon.
However, in a recent interview with Sky Sports, he admitted that the Saudi Pro League would not be taking the lead in pursuing the signing of the Liverpool star.
Having facilitated Salah’s move from Basel to Chelsea during his tenure as technical director from 2011 to 2017, Emenalo expressed his eagerness to bring the player to the Gulf state.
Nevertheless, he hinted that any potential winter transfer would likely require encouragement from the player’s representatives or camp.
“Mo Salah, like [Lionel] Messi, [Karim] Benzema, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, these are players that, when there is a sense of availability for them, we are willing to listen,” He said.
“But we also understand that Mo is happy where he is at present and in a historic, wonderful club at Liverpool,” He added.
“We respect that very much and we don’t want to come across as putting any pressure on him.”
“But if there is any interest to do something, Mo Salah is a player that you want in your league, in any league.”
When questioned about the possibility of a January transfer for Mohamed Salah, Emenalo clarified, stating, “We hold respect for Liverpool, and in this situation, any initiative to make a move won’t originate from our side.”
He added: “There has to be an aligned interest from all parties involved. It’s a very personal thing, as a player that I recruited [for Chelsea] and I like.”
“There’s nothing I’m saying that is new or ground-breaking – that a player of this level of talent is available and your league wants him.”
“If Mo Salah is available, has an interest to come and everything is aligned, I would be incredibly delighted.”
Source: https://Activityrun.com
