Mo Salah’s departure from Liverpool for the Saudi Pro League has concluded the controversy around it. At least for the time being.
Salah has stayed in Merseyside as a result of Liverpool’s resolve. Liverpool reportedly turned down offers worth up to £150 million.
And according to Miguel Delaney, there was a crucial factor that prevented FSG from ultimately authorizing the sale of Salah from Liverpool to Saudi.
Liverpool rejects Mo Salah’s transfer to Saudi due to fan sentiment
However, in the end, the sentiment that Salah’s followers felt for him prevented a sale.
“The window closed without the major move that had been expected – and there was some relief around Liverpool, in particular, about that – but plans are already afoot to move into the next stage for the next summer window,” wrote Delaney.
The goal now is to lower the age of all purchases, thus the signing of Gabri Veiga was a portent of things to come. This really is only the beginning, as one industry insider put it. Regarding Mohamed Salah, there has been a perception in the game that Liverpool was truly willing to talk about selling him since paying such a large sum of money for a 31-year-old makes both financial and possibly football sense.
The problem was how important he is to his supporters and how challenging it would have been to make changes at this point.
The proper choice
The difficulty of replacing Salah without a window to work in is a significant concern, as Delaney points out in this passage.
It’s intriguing to learn that FSG and Liverpool’s choice was influenced by the relationship between the fans in this case.
It just goes to demonstrate that some clubs are still very much interested in fan support. And it is significant for a team like Liverpool.
Salah is still there right now. But it does seem as though time is running out.
