Graeme Souness wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool sold Mohamed Salah to Al Ittihad but warns it will be tough to replace him.
The Egyptian is the latest Reds star to be linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with Al Ittihad ready to offer him wages on par with Manchester United legend and Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Former captain Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino all left Anfield for Saudi Arabia this summer.
Now, Al Ittihad want to make Salah the most expensive Saudi Pro League signing of all time and break the record only set earlier this month when Neymar joined Al Hilal for £69m.
But despite Salah scoring a whopping 187 goals in 308 games and helping them to lift the Premier League in 2020, former Liverpool midfielder and manager Souness has told talkSPORT that he can see the Reds being willing to sell the winger.
Speaking to talkSPORT’s Jim White, Souness said: “Obviously if he were to leave it would put an enormous dent in their hopes and aspirations for this season. Enormous.
“They’ll be looking at what he’s going to be worth in a years time. He might be saying to them ‘give us another year’, because Liverpool are in transition, and they were fabulous last weekend at Newcastle.
“I thought the ten men that stayed on were just fabulous. I think the manager’s tactics were spot on, weathering the storm, getting [Darwin] Nunez on late. You couldn’t have scripted it any better.
“So they’ll be thinking if they get rid of him, one, the damage it does, that’ll be an easy thing to calculate. You’re taking 20 goals plus out of your team.
“Who’s going to get those goals if he was to go? They are hard-nosed businessmen from North America. They will be thinking ‘a year from now, what sort of money would we get for Mo Salah? Would the money still be there? Could Mo Salah get an injury? Could Mo Salah have a poor season?
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“So, I wouldn’t be surprised if they took the money. I’d be disappointed as a Liverpool supporter, but I wouldn’t be surprised. There’s no obvious replacement that can go and get 20 goals.
“It’s one to watch.”
Souness isn’t convinced the Reds current players would provide the same threat in front of goal as Salah, with him comparing his possible exit to Tottenham recently selling all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
When asked if they’d have enough firepower if they did sell Salah, Souness said: “No. I really like [Diogo] Jota and Nunez, after a year now he might be a more consistent goalscorer for them. They certainly have goals in their team.
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“But it’s Mo Salah who has been the main goal-getter for the last five years or so, any team would miss him.
“But it’s a bit like Spurs. Harry Kane, people are saying well, Spurs are going right now, but hold your horses. You will miss Harry Kane’s goals.”
This summer’s transfer window will slam shut this Friday. talkSPORT understands Al Ittihad plan another pursuit before the deadline, but plans are already being drawn up ahead of next year, too.
Liverpool next face Aston Villa at Anfield on Sunday as they look to extend their unbeaten record so far this season.
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