Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah has reportedly not ruled out signing a new deal at Anfield, in spite of interest from Saudi Arabia.
The 31-year-old's current terms - which he signed in the summer of 2022 - are due to expire at the end of next season, and he has been lined up for a switch to the Saudi Pro League for some time.
During the final hours of the summer transfer window, national champions Al-Ittihad supposedly came forward with a mammoth £150m bid, but Liverpool immediately turned down the nine-figure offer.
Al-Ittihad were rumoured to be preparing a second approach worth a world-record £200m, but that bid was never made, and Liverpool were never concerned about the prospect of losing Salah during the summer window.
However, with the former Chelsea and Roma man due to become a free agent in 2025, the upcoming transfer window could prove to be Liverpool's last chance to sell one of their club legends for a reasonable fee.
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Al-Ittihad - along with other Public Investment Fund-backed clubs in the Saudi Pro League - will be expected to rekindle their interest this summer and test Liverpool's resolve with lucrative bids, but according to Football Insider, Salah is in no rush to end his glittering Anfield spell.
The report adds that the Egypt international has also not closed the door on signing a contract extension with the Reds, in spite of the imminent exit of long-serving head coach Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.
Salah supposedly feels that he has enough left in the tank to continue playing at the highest level in Europe, but even if he does not come to an agreement over fresh terms, he could still see out the final year of his current deal.
The futures of Liverpool's stalwarts have been plunged into uncertainty following the bombshell news that Klopp would leave the club this summer, as Virgil van Dijk admitted that he was not sure if he would be a part of the club's new era.
However, the Reds captain quickly clarified his comments, claiming that they had been taken out of context and he remains fully committed to Liverpool, whose owners will apparently pull out all the stops in a bid to keep Salah at the club.
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The 31-year-old has sent records tumbling since returning to the Premier League in 2017 and boasts 204 goals and 88 assists in 332 appearances for the Reds, sitting fifth in the club's all-time scoring list.
Salah also holds the record for the most European goals in a Liverpool shirt with 45, and a stellar start to the 2023-24 season saw him amass 18 goals and nine assists in his first 27 outings in all tournaments.
Only Golden Boot holder Erling Haaland can match Salah's 14 Premier League goals in the current campaign, although the Egyptian has not played for Klopp's side since New Year's Day due to the Africa Cup of Nations and a muscular injury.
Salah sustained his issue during Egypt's second group match against Ghana, and without the Liverpool man strutting his stuff in attack, the Pharaohs were eliminated on penalties by DR Congo in the last 16.
Salah has since continued his rehabilitation at Kirkby, but he will not be available for Saturday's clash with Burnley, as Liverpool endeavour to maintain or extend their two-point lead at the top of the table.
Ben Knapton
