Saudi Pro League confirm transfer plan after Liverpool rejected £150m Mohamed Salah bid
Saudi clubs are set to launch another huge raid on the Premier League this summer, with Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah likely to be their No1 target.
It comes as a top executive of the Saudi Pro League says they are in football for the long term and not just a one-off, having spent £700m on new players last summer, including Brazilian forward Neymar and Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves. They also splashed the cash on Premier League stars like N'Golo Kante and former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson.
Vice-chair of the Saudi Pro League, Saad Al Lazeez, told the Financial Times' Business of Football Summit: "This is a long-term investment. We are not in it for a season.
"We are pleased with what has been achieved so far. In fact, I think we are a bit ahead of schedule," he said, underlining the kingdom's aim of pumping money into football as part of a broader strategy to diversify the economy.
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Al Lazeez accepted Henderson did not work out but did not expect him leaving for Ajax after just six months to put others off. "You don't expect all of them to stay," he said, reports The Mirror.
"He's a great guy. It did just not work out. That's life." He added Henderson would remain "one of the best signings that we made for the Saudi Pro League."
Several of Salah's ex-Liverpool teammates, including Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum, are still in Saudi. Last summer, Liverpool turned down a £150m offer for Salah from Al-Ittihad.
However, Liverpool's situation is different this summer as Salah's contract enters its last 12 months. There's always the
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