The Reds striker remains linked with a move away from Anfield before the Saudi Arabian transfer window closes
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Al-Ittihad face a number of hurdles if they really want to sign Mohamed Salah from Liverpool before the Saudi transfer window closes.
While the European transfer window closed for most countries on September 1, Saudi Pro League teams have until September 7 to finalize their future business.
And with Liverpool rejecting a £150m verbal bid before the Reds’ deadline, Al-Ittihad are expected to make a better offer this week. Liverpool are adamant they will resist the Middle East’s latest attempt to lure the Egyptian away, despite suggestions their next bid could be worth more than £200m. Of course, the Saudi Pro League should still accept such offers.
But hypothetically, even if the Reds decide to sell, despite not being able to sign a replacement before January, Al-Ittihad would still have one major problem in the squad that they would have to address first.
Clubs in the Saudi Arabian Professional League are currently only allowed to register eight foreign players in their squads per season. Al-Ittihad already have nine such players, with former captain Ahmed Hegazi already out after being sidelined for most of the season with an ACL injury.
According to Athletic, Al-Ittihad are also looking for a replacement central defender, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos and Paraguay and Palmeiras captain Gustavo Gomez both on the radar, having already missed out on free agent Sergio Ramos. Meanwhile, also reported a strong interest in West Ham United’s Nayef Aguerdi.
If Al-Ittihad were to sign two more foreign players, they would have to move on from their current eight-man squad or at least drop two.
They signed four such players this summer: N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema on free transfers, Celtic’s Jota for £25m and Liverpool legend Fabinho for £40m.
As I recall, reports from Saudi Arabia suggested that the club is planning to move away from Jota in just a few months, as the Portuguese have yet to start in the Saudi league this season.
Meanwhile, their four other foreign players are Brazilian striker Romarinho, a club legend who has scored 104 goals in 192 appearances for the club since joining the team in 2018, former Brazil goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe, who remains their first choice in the shootout. .
attacking midfielder Igor Coronado, who is ever-present this season and is their second highest goalscorer, and forward Abderrazak Hamdallah, who was the top scorer in the Saudi Arabian Pro League last season when they won the title, with 21 goals together. Christian. Ronaldo’s top five has only gotten better so far this season.
Divided like this, it may explain why Al-Ittihad leaders preferred to offload Jota to Romarinho, who started the season as captain before Benzema received the armband, Coronado, who is better than the Portuguese, and the prolific Hamdallah. However, if Grohe were to go on the road, it would create further problems with the need for a new goalkeeper.
Of course, if Al-Ittihad get Salah’s signature, they will find an opportunity.
The Egyptian is the highest profile Muslim footballer in the world and would be a star player in the Saudi Pro League, surpassing even Ronaldo if he made the move. As a result, one of their current foreign players was dropped without a second thought to become Liverpool’s talisman.
Egypt international Tarek Hamed, who signed for Damac on Monday, has already been handed a two-year deal to make way for this summer’s star signings.
So even if Al-Ittihad’s current number of foreign players doesn’t stop them from making a move for Salah,
it still leaves them with the dilemma of having to sort one or the other out before the Saudi transfer window closes. With two days until that September 7 deadline and a move already looking increasingly unlikely for the Egyptian, time is running out.
