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Liverpool might fear fresh Saudi interest in Mohamed Salah after Al-Ittihad reportedly expressed a desire to appoint former Reds sporting director Julian Ward. It has been claimed that the reigning Saudi Pro champions are targeting the appointment of Ward after failing with a £150million bid for Salah in the summer.
Al-Ittihad were desperate to sign the Egyptian winger and reportedly sent an entourage to London to thrash out a deal. However, Liverpool turned down record bids for the player and insisted that he will not move, especially after penning a three-year contract in 2022.
In a potentially creative way of signing Salah in the coming months, Al-Ittihad are reportedly hoping to appoint former Reds transfer guru Ward. The 42-year-old worked closely with Michael Edwards at Anfield and then replaced the hugely respected sporting director in 2022.
However, Ward announced his decision to quit just months after Edwards’ departure. He is now available for other clubs to snap up.
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According to the Daily Mail, Al-Ittihad want a skilled sporting director to improve their recruitment structure and help new head coach Marcelo Gallardo, who replaced Nuno Espirito Santo earlier this month. Ward may also provide a strong link to Liverpool, which may be useful in further negotiations over Salah should the Saudi outfit reprise their interest.
Salah had two years remaining on his contract in the summer, giving Liverpool plenty of power during discussions. But the more his deal ticks down to its final 12 months, Al-Ittihad might be able to strike a deal with the Premier League side.
Last week, Al-Ittihad president Anmar Al-Haili promised to explain why he failed to acquire Salah. He also hopes to open up on similar failed moves for Sergio Ramos and Kevin De Bruyne.
He told Spanish publication AS: “I remained silent… but I hope to be able to respond soon to what happened in the last week of the summer market regarding Salah, Ramos and De Bruyne.”
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Salah has been committed to Liverpool this season and is enjoying a fantastic campaign. The 31-year-old has scored 12 goals across all competitions.
Jurgen Klopp grew frustrated with repeated questioning on Salah’s future last summer and snapped when he continued to be quizzed after the window closed. Asked if he expected the former Chelsea star to see out the season with Liverpool, Klopp hit back: “You can’t wait until December to ask these questions?
“We will see what happens, but no, I’m not worried about it at this moment. I didn’t even think about it until you opened the wound again. I’m not worried.”
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