Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad reportedly made a late move for Richarlison after Liverpool rejected their monstrous bid for Mohamed Salah.
Al Ittihad reportedly failed with a £150 million bid for Salah, which the Reds turned down. Just before the Saudi transfer window closed on Thursday (September 6), the Saudi Pro League side made a surprise bid to snap up Tottenham Hotspur attacker Richarlison, as per The Telegraph (via Daily Mail).
With Richarlison enduring a difficult time at Spurs – one goal in 31 Premier League games – Al Itithad potentially sensed an opportunity to sign the Brazilian. The attacker was also in tears after being substituted in Brazil’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying opener against Bolivia, which they won 5-1.
The Telegraph reports that the SPL side made contact with Richarlison through intermediaries but ran out of time to complete a move before the 10 pm deadline. It’s likely that they could return for the Brazilian in January if his fortunes do not change.
Meanwhile, Salah was intensely pursued by Al Ittihad in the latter stages of this summer. However, Liverpool stood steadfast in their stance that the Egyptian was not for sale.
Moreover, with the Saudi side making concrete approaches only towards the end of the transfer window, the Reds wouldn’t have had time to make a replacement had they sanctioned Salah’s sale.
How has Mohamed Salah fared at Liverpool this season?
Mohamed Salah has been a performer par excellence since his arrival at Liverpool in the summer of 2017. He has racked up an impressive tally of 188 goals and 81 assists in 309 games across competitions.
That tally includes two goals and as many assists in four Premier League games this season as Jurgen Klopp’s men find themselves two points adrift of early leaders Manchester City.
Salah failed to extend his record of scoring in seven straight Premier League opening-day games, as he drew a blank in the 1-1 draw at Chelsea. However, his goal in the 3-1 home win at Bournemouth made him the Reds’ fifth-most prolific scorer of all time, level with another club legend Steven Gerrad (187).
Two games later, Salah scored in the 3-0 home win over Aston Villa to go outright fifth in Liverpool’ all-time scoring list.