A Saudi Arabian TV pundit has claimed that two prominent Liverpool players are on the brink of agreeing transfers to the Middle East.
Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk both have just over five months remaining on their respective contracts at Anfield, and despite public utterances from the experienced duo hinting that they’d prefer to stay, neither seems to be close to penning a new deal on Merseyside.
The ongoing impasse could duly play into the hands of overseas suitors who’d now be able to strike a pre-contract agreement for a free transfer to take effect in the summer, and one source has claimed that the Egyptian forward and Dutch defender could both be on the move in the next few months.
Saudi pundit claims SPL deals for Liverpool duo are ‘very close’
KSA Sports channel pundit Khaled Al-Shenaif has stated that Salah has all but agreed to join Al-Hilal, and that Van Dijk is also ‘very close’ to shaking hands on a transfer to the Saudi Pro League (SPL).
He boasted: “According to the information we have, Al-Hilal president Fahad bin Nafel and [SPL vice-chairman] Saad Al Lazeez are currently in London to finalise the signings of a 2003-born player and Mohamed Salah.
“Salah is 99% an Al-Hilal player, while Virgil van Dijk is very close. Everything has been agreed upon. The only thing left is for both players to sign. This transfer will take place over the summer, before the Club World Cup.”
(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Saudi moves haven’t worked out for a few ex-Liverpool stars
From a Liverpool perspective, we’re hoping this is nothing more than Saudi self-aggrandising from Al-Shenaif.
If Salah and Van Dijk are seriously contemplating an exit from Anfield for a move to the Middle East this year, they’d be wise to heed the cautionary tales of some former teammates who quickly discovered that the grass isn’t necessarily greener elsewhere.
Sadio Mane has found goals difficult to come by with Al-Nassr, and Bobby Firmino had a frustrating spell on the bench at Al-Ahli earlier this season. Notoriously, Jordan Henderson lasted only six months at Al-Ettifaq before returning to Europe with Ajax a year ago.
It’s not as if our number 11 and number 4 are discernibly on the wane in England, either. The Dutchman has been a colossus at the back over the past few months, while the winger has accrued a remarkable tally of 21 goals and 17 assists already this term.
While Al-Shenaif’s claims make it sound as though Salah and Van Dijk are both on the verge of packing their suitcases for the next plane to Saudi Arabia, we wouldn’t advise Liverpool fans to feel too disgusted just yet.
Until such time that such a narrative is communicated by a reliable source closer to home, we remain confident that the duo will sign new deals at Anfield, where both have taken their respective careers to a stratospheric level.
The post ‘Very close’ – Saudi pundit makes double Liverpool transfer claim which’ll disgust Reds supporters appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.
