Liverpool beware! Saudi Arabia are 'obsessed' with Salah signing

Updated: 25 Aug 2023 18:08 BST
6 min read

Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, 2023/24 — © ProShots

Saudi Arabia are "obsessed" with signing Mohamed Salah from Liverpool, according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

The country are determined to add Salah to the wealth of talent they have already signed, as they view him as the most famous player in the Arab world.

Article continues under the video

In fact, the Egyptian would be such a marquee signing that Saudi Arabia are willing to pay whatever it takes to complete a deal.

MORE: Saudi Pro League: How to watch on TV or live stream

Liverpool remain adamant that their star man is not going anywhere but every player has a price.

Should The Reds be offered upwards of £200 million, would they be able to turn that down?

Here are the most expensive Saudi Pro League transfers to date - a list that includes former Liverpool players Sadio Mane and Fabinho.

The 10 most expensive Saudi Pro League transfers of all time

10. Roger Ibanez - €30m (from Roma to Al-Ahli, 2023)

Roger Ibanez was linked with a move to Chelsea in both 2022 and 2023 after starring for Jose Mourinho's Roma, but the centre-back joined Al-Ahli for €30m instead.

Nottingham Forest challenged Al-Ahli for his signature as Steve Cooper looked to bolster his backline, but the lucrative nature of the Saudi Pro League proved too great to turn down and Ibanez joined Saint-Maximin at Al-Ahli.

9. Sadio Mane - €30m (from Bayern to Al-Nassr, 2023)

Sadio Mane left Liverpool as a club legend having netted 120 goals in just under 270 appearances for the Reds.

His transfer to Bayern Munich, however, didn't go as planned. Mane was seen as Robert Lewandowski's replacement, despite only playing as a centre forward for his final six months at Liverpool, and ultimately failed to live up to the hype surrounding the move.

Thomas Tuchel publicly criticised him for his "disappointing" season and Mane's exit was inevitable after that. He joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr at the start of August 2023.

8. Riyad Mahrez - €35m (from Man City to Al-Ahli, 2023)

After years of trophy-laden success at Manchester City, Riyad Mahrez decided it was time for a new challenge after helping Pep Guardiola's side win the treble in his final year at the club.

In total, Mahrez left Man City with 78 goals and 59 assists for the club and has departed the Premier League as one of its modern greats.

He is Al-Ahli's most expensive signing in history after his €35m move.

7. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic - €42m (from Lazio to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Perennially linked with Manchester United, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic finally left Lazio in 2023, after spending eight years at the club, but he didn’t move to Old Trafford as many expected.

Instead, the Serbian joined Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League after they tabled an impressive salary offer to the player and a €42m fee to Lazio. He signed a three-year contract upon joining Al-Hilal, keeping him at the club until 2026 - when he will be 31.

6. Fabinho - €46.7m (from Liverpool to Al-Ittihad, 2023)

Fabinho looked on his last legs during the 2022-23 season and Liverpool snatched at the opportunity to sell the Brazilian when Al-Ittihad offered €46.7m for his services - marginally more than they paid Monaco to sign him back in 2018.

The midfielder was pivotal to Liverpool's success in the 2019 Champions League final and the 2019/20 Premier League season, with the stability he provided allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson bomb forward.

Fabinho is Al-Ittihad's record signing and has joined Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante at the club.

5. Aleksandar Mitrovic - €52.5m (from Fulham to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Aleksandar Mitrovic finally joined Al-Hilal in mid-August after weeks of speculation that he would leave Fulham.

The Serbian striker has left Fulham as their sixth-highest goal-scorer in history (150), while he is their record ever departure.

The forward is not only the fifth most expensive signing in Saudi Arabian history, but he is also the fourth most expensive Al-Hilal signing following a historic summer of spending.

4. Ruben Neves - €55m (from Wolves to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Ruben Neves’ €55m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Al-Hilal became the most expensive transfer in Saudi Pro League history at the start of the summer, before it was smashed by first Malcom and subsequently Neymar.

The midfielder, who became the youngest ever captain in Champions League history during his time with Porto, was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, but the Blaugrana weren’t able to pay a suitable fee for his services.

A continuation of his stay at Molineux looked a possibility until Al-Hilal entered the race for his signature and coughed up a huge fee to persuade Wolves to sell.

The transfer was particularly key as Neves was the first player from Europe’s top five leagues to leave the continent in their prime to move to Saudi Arabia.

3. Malcom - €60m (from Zenit to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Malcom is best known for his failed transfer to Barcelona, which lasted just 12 months and saw him score just four goals in 24 appearances.

Remarkably, Barcelona turned a €500k profit on the Brazil winger when they sold him to Zenit one year after purchasing him, with Malcom enjoying a prolific stint in Russia.

He bagged 42 goals for the club in just over 100 appearances before Al-Hilal made him the most expensive Saudi Pro League player ever. That record has since been broken.

2. Otavio - €60m (from Porto to Al-Nassr, 2023)

Portugal international Otavio spent seven seasons at Porto before moving to Al-Nassr in late August of 2023.

The 28-year-old developed into a fine player in the Primeira Liga, hitting double digits for assists in the previous four campaigns.

But like many other stars from across Europe, he decided that the Saudi Pro League offered the right challenge for the next stage of his career.

He has teamed up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Sadio Mane, forming what will surely be a superb front three.

1. Neymar - €90m (from PSG to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Malcom's record was obliterated by his countryman Neymar when Al-Hilal spent €90m to lure him away from PSG in mid-August 2023.

After a joyous period at Barcelona, Neymar endured an injury-hit career in France, and ultimately failed to win the Champions League or the Ballon d'Or - his two targets upon arriving at the Parc des Princes.

His move means Al-Hilal have signed four of the five most expensive players in Saudi Pro League history.