Al-Ittihad – The Empire of The Kop

Al-Ittihad plot potential coup which they’ll hope to help them lure Mo Salah from Liverpool

Liam Togher — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:09:00 +0000

Having already signed Fabinho from Liverpool this year, Al-Ittihad appear to have eyes on trying to lure another ex-Anfield figure to Saudi Arabia.

The Daily Mail reported that the Reds’ former sporting director Julian Ward is being targeted to take up a similar role at the Jeddah-based club, who’ve recently hired a new manager in Marcelo Gallardo.

The 42-year-old first came to LFC in 2012 as European scouting manager for Spain and Portugal and eventually worked his way up the chain to take over from long-serving recruitment chief Michael Edwards in 2022, only to leave that position at the end of last season.

Aside from the work that he carried out at Liverpool, one reason why Al-Ittihad might be targeting Ward is with a view to eventually getting their hands on Mo Salah.

As per ESPN, the Saudi outfit had a £150m bid for the 31-year-old rejected at the end of the summer transfer window, although they’re expected to return with an improved offer in the near future.

If they manage to get Ward through the door, they might be hoping that his Anfield ties could possibly be a factor in helping to entice the Egyptian winger to Jeddah in 2024.

With the January transfer window now just over a month away, Liverpool’s current hierarchy may have their hands full trying to keep hold of Salah if, as has been touted, the likes of Al-Ittihad attempt to lure him to Saudi Arabia with the riches they can offer.

However, several former Reds favourites in Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Bobby Firmino have since discovered that the grass mightn’t necessarily be greener in the Middle East, which is something that our number 11 should carefully consider.

There’s simply no way that the fans in Jeddah would ever take them into their hearts to the extent that the Anfield faithful have done, considering the heroics he’s performed on Merseyside.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 13 Review : Trippier OUT & Zinchenko IN? Gordon the ultimate differential? Haaland & Salah must-haves

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(Video) Clip of Fabinho ‘tackle’ in Saudi Pro League breaks the internet – Liverpool fans won’t believe it

Peter Kenny Jones — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 15:55:14 +0000

Despite the claims of many that have made the move to Saudi Arabia, the standard of football is far below that of the major European leagues – something Fabinho seems to have quickly got used to.

Footage from Al-Okhdood’s latest game against Al-Ittihad showed the Brazilian being nutmegged by Leandre Tawamba.

Although the skill is somewhat impressive, it’s the total lack of a reaction from our No.3 that calls into question the standard of the football in the Middle East.

The slow pace of the game and lack of intensity shows just how much of a step down the Saudi Pro League is, from the pinnacle of football at Anfield.

You can watch the video of Fabinho via @SPL_EN on X:

The cheekiest of tricks from @gael_kana ‍#yallaRSL #RoshnSaudiLeague pic.twitter.com/foD8Lcggqb

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) September 14, 2023

#Ep90 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay – Goncalo Inacio NEXT?

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Liverpool reiterate stance on Mo Salah amid reports of world-record offer from Saudi Arabia

Liam Togher — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 09:15:41 +0000

Liverpool are reportedly set to resist any late attempts from Al-Ittihad to sign Mo Salah before the Saudi Pro League’s transfer window closes on Thursday night.

There have been reports on Tuesday morning of a world-record offer worth £215m being presented to the Reds (comprising £170m plus add-ons), with the Jeddah club having seen an opening bid of £150m rejected by the Merseysiders a few days ago.

As per Liverpool Echo, LFC’s stance throughout the entire saga has been that the 31-year-old isn’t for sale, and they’ll reiterate that standpoint even if the Saudi champions submit an improved proposal over the next 48 hours.

The report adds that Liverpool ‘consider the matter closed and are planning for the rest of the season with Salah in their ranks’.

If Liverpool can even get through today without giving any sniff of a hope to Al-Ittihad over a potential sale, that could be enough to see them hold onto Salah for the remainder of 2023 at least.

It’s been claimed (by the Liverpool Echo and others) that some of the Saudi delegation tasked with trying to sign the Egyptian feel as if Tuesday represents their last realistic chance of making a breakthrough towards getting a transfer done prior to the deadline later this week.

The Anfield hierarchy deserve credit for being unflinching in their stance on the matter up to now, when other clubs may well have caved into the prospect of receiving £150m for a player who turned 31 earlier this year.

There’s surely a recognition that Salah is so crucial to Jurgen Klopp’s side that selling him now, when LFC can’t make any new signings until January, would be incredibly detrimental to the team and the club and kill the optimism which is brewing after a promising start to the Premier League campaign.

Thankfully it seems that the Egyptian himself has no plans on leaving Liverpool, which could well be the biggest cause for encouragement amid this unwelcome transfer saga.

The Reds have made it this far without blinking; they just need to remain resilient for two-and-a-half more days to ensure that a nightmare scenario doesn’t materialise.

#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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‘Could be more dangerous… ‘ – Fabrizio Romano sounds 2024 transfer warning for Liverpool fans

Liam Togher — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:32:36 +0000

Fabrizio Romano has reassured Liverpool fans that Mo Salah will almost certainly stay at the club beyond this week’s Saudi Pro League transfer deadline, but warned that the ‘situation could be more dangerous in 2024’.

An initial offer of £150m from Al-Ittihad was swiftly rejected by the Reds, although a follow-up bid of around £200m is reportedly expected in the next couple of days (Evening Standard).

As frequently iterated by Jurgen Klopp, LFC’s stance is that the Egyptian simply isn’t for sale at any price, and they only need to hold firm until Thursday night to ensure that he stays for at least the remainder of this year.

In his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, Romano said of Salah: “At the moment Liverpool are confirming that they have no intention to let him go, but the situation could be more dangerous in 2024.

“If Al Ittihad come back for Salah next year, there will be more time for them to put together something to tempt Liverpool, and more time for Liverpool to consider the deal and look for a replacement at the level of Salah.

“For now, it’s unlikely or even impossible, but for 2024 it could be a different story because Al Ittihad are really in love with the idea of signing Salah.”

Thursday night’s Saudi Arabian transfer deadline can’t come quickly enough for Liverpool fans, with speculation over Salah’s future showing no sign of slowing down in the meantime.

Just this morning, the Evening Standard reported that the 31-year-old has delayed teaming up with the Egypt squad in order to consider the prospect of a move to Al-Ittihad, despite Dominik Szoboszlai stating that the attacker told his teammates he’d no intention of leaving Anfield this week (Independent).

For now, Reds supporters would probably settle for the status quo being maintained beyond the Saudi transfer window, albeit with a firm realisation that an exit could well materialise next year.

If Liverpool can hold out until after the Middle Eastern deadline, that’d at least give them scope to look towards prospective replacements in 2024 if Salah decides to move on at that point.

Expect Al-Ittihad to keep trying to entice the Egyptian to Jeddah over the coming months, even if LFC manage to retain him for the first half of this season. Roll on Thursday night and the closure of the Saudi transfer window so that we can all finally relax!

#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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(Video) ‘Our information is…’ – Sky reporter shares evening update on Saudi pursuit of Salah

Liam Togher — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 20:14:45 +0000

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has shared an update on Monday evening regarding Al-Ittihad’s ongoing pursuit of Liverpool attacker Mo Salah.

The Saudi Pro League champions have already failed with an initial £150m bid for the 31-year-old, although they’re expected to try and submit an offer of around £200m before their transfer deadline on Thursday night (Daily Mail).

Jurgen Klopp has repeatedly insisted that the Reds have absolutely no intention of selling him at any price this week, and the forward is believed to have reassured his teammates that he won’t be leaving any time soon (The Independent).

Speaking on Sky Sports News on Monday evening, Solhekol said that Al-Ittihad could make one more attempt at trying to land Salah this week, although the club’s powerbrokers are understood to be split on whether to submit another bid now or wait until 2024.

The reporter outlined: “They have been having talks about what they should do next, and our information is that they want to make another offer for Mo Salah before the Saudi window closes on Thursday.

“Senior figures at the club – some of the most powerful people at Al-Ittihad – are saying ‘Look, we believe it’s worth having one more go to try and get him’.

“There are also very influential voices at the club who are telling them and advising them ‘No, let’s draw a line under this now. Let’s respect Liverpool. They’ve made it clear he’s not for sale. Let’s try again next summer’.”

“We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the next few days before the Saudi window closes at 10pm UK time on Thursday night, but Al-Ittihad definitely do want to try and make another offer for the player.”

Solhekol also pointed out that the Jeddah-based club would need to firstly go through the Saudi Pro League to get an offer approved before it’s presented to Liverpool, a bureaucratic step which could hinder the process with so little time remaining in their transfer window.

The Reds just need to hold firm for three more days until the Middle Eastern deadline; there’s no reason why they can’t, having resisted any and all overtures so far.

You can view Solhekol’s comments in full below, via @SkySportsNews on Twitter/X:

Kaveh Solhekol provides the latest on Al-Ittihad's pursuit of Mohamed Salah pic.twitter.com/hzPRQOQuun

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 4, 2023

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David Ornstein: Liverpool flatly reject nine-figure Al-Ittihad transfer offer for Mo Salah

Liam Togher — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 12:15:38 +0000

Liverpool have reportedly rejected a nine-figure transfer offer from the Saudi Pro League for Mo Salah.

David Ornstein shared the news for The Athletic on Friday lunchtime, reporting that ‘the proposal, worth in excess of £100million plus substantial add-ons, was given no consideration and turned down immediately’.

While the Reds have reiterated that the Egyptian isn’t for sale and ‘consider the case closed’, the Saudis have a differing view and ‘are expected to maintain a strong interest’.

Sharing a link to the article via Twitter/X, the journalist outlined: “Liverpool reject verbal bid worth more than £100m + substantial add-ons from Saudi Pro League to sign Mohamed Salah for Al Ittihad. Proposal made on amicable call to Mike Gordon last night. #LFC view as case closed, #SPL do not.”

EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool reject verbal bid worth more than £100m + substantial add-ons from Saudi Pro League to sign Mohamed Salah for Al Ittihad. Proposal made on amicable call to Mike Gordon last night. #LFC view as case closed, #SPL do not @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/lHbEJ3yLGZ

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) September 1, 2023

This has been the most significant development yet in Saudi Arabia’s ongoing pursuit of Salah, but thankfully Liverpool have been firm in telling them where to go with their first offer.

Frankly, a bid of an initial £100m is an insult for a player of the Egyptian’s world-class quality in today’s market; and even with the add-ons seemingly bringing the overall fee to a potential £150m (Sky Sports), the Reds are quite right to feel he’s worth much more than that.

It doesn’t help that the Saudi Pro League’s transfer window continues for another few days while the Premier League one closes tonight, so the Anfield hierarchy need to be just as forthright in rejecting any advances for the 31-year-old seeing as they won’t be able to bring in a replacement.

The verbal bid shows that the powerbrokers from the Middle East are serious in trying to lure Salah to Al-Ittihad, but let’s hope Liverpool don’t cave into the enormous riches on offer. They simply can’t afford to cash in on the Egypt legend, no matter how much money is thrown in their direction.

#Ep88 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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(Video) ‘Wait for it…’ – Sky reporter shares astounding claim on what Saudi club could pay Salah

Liam Togher — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 20:46:58 +0000

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has shared the eye-watering figures that the Saudi Pro League are willing to pay in order to land Mo Salah from Liverpool.

The attacker has been the subject of reported transfer interest from Al-Ittihad, although the Reds have repeatedly insisted that they’ve no intention of allowing him to follow Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Middle East.

The journalist was speaking on The Transfer Show on Sky Sports News (via @footballdaily) when he addressed the astronomical numbers behind the Gulf plans to raid LFC for their most valuable asset.

Sheth outlined: “One source has told us that they’re working on a deal that’s worth £150m in a transfer fee. That breaks down to £100m in an initial fee plus £50m in performance-related add-ons.

“I’ve never heard of performance-related add-ons being that high, and they’re willing to pay Salah – wait for it – £1.5m a week.

“As far as Liverpool are concerned, they are adamant he is not for sale. They have no intention of selling Salah in this transfer window. Earlier this summer, Salah’s representative Rami Abbas ruled out a move in this window.

“He said ‘we signed a new contract with Liverpool last summer; we wouldn’t have done that if we were going to leave a year later’, but I don’t think anyone knew the kind of figures that were going to be bandied around when the Saudi Pro League came to town.”

We wouldn’t blame Salah if he were seriously tempted by the phenomenal wages reportedly on offer from Saudi Arabia, but we live in hope that he has no interest in leaving Liverpool for another year at least.

Whatever Al-Ittihad might throw at the Reds between now and their league’s transfer deadline, the Anfield hierarchy must remain as resilient as they have been all along.

You can see the clip of Sheth’s comments below (from Sky Sports News), shared via @footballdaily on Twitter/X:

| One source says Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad are working on a deal worth £150m for Mohamed Salah.

[via @skysports_sheth]. pic.twitter.com/8YagXhP8Nn

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 31, 2023

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‘I got a text…’ – Journalist shares what he was told today regarding Mo Salah’s Saudi links

Liam Togher — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:49:27 +0000

One journalist today shared what he was told from a contact in Saudi Arabia regarding the future of Liverpool superstar Mo Salah.

The Egyptian has been linked with a potentially lucrative move to Al-Ittihad, who’ve reportedly made an ‘unbelievable’ offer to the 31-year-old and his current club (Jan Aage Fjortoft).

On Thursday afternoon, Craig Hope was hosting a transfer deadline livestream for The Daily Mail on YouTube, during which he received word from a contact about the Reds’ number 11.

The journalist explained: “I spent a little bit of time out in Riyadh in December and made a few contacts around the Saudi Pro League.

“I got a text through about five or 10 minutes ago from one of those contacts saying parties close to Al-Ittihad are sure Salah is going to come, which I thought was quite strong.”

On first glance, this might seem like a worrying update from a Liverpool perspective if a source from Saudi Arabia is ‘sure’ that Salah will move to the Middle East.

However, Hope didn’t explicitly mention when any such transfer might occur, which seems to give reassurance that it mightn’t necessarily happen before the market closes for clubs in the Gulf nation.

Also, Ian Doyle stated in a Q&A for the Liverpool Echo earlier today that the absence of any official bid so far leaves the proposed move as nothing more than ‘hypothetical for now’, and he also seemed to suggest that the 31-year-old wouldn’t depart Anfield this season at least.

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The ongoing discourse about Salah raises the firm possibility that he’ll leave Liverpool for the Saudi Pro League at some stage, and we’ve already seen this summer just how much clout that particular division now has when it comes to attracting marquee names.

We just hope that the Egyptian is happy enough to continue weaving his magic on Merseyside for at least another season, and ideally beyond.

#Ep88 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Not just Salah: Another Liverpool ace is ‘very high’ on Saudi club’s transfer ‘shortlist’ – Romano

Liam Togher — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 20:18:18 +0000

In a summer which has already seen several ex-Liverpool players move to Saudi Arabia, and Mo Salah also linked with a transfer to the Middle East, yet another member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad is now believed to be attracting attention from that part of the world.

According to Fabrizio Romano on Monday night, ‘Al Ittihad have a shortlist of defenders’ who they want to bring in, and ‘Joe Gomez is very high on that list’.

The Italian reporter added: “Al Ittihad like Gomez as versatile player who can play anywhere across the back line. Liverpool insist they’ve no intention to sell important players in the final days.”

Al Ittihad have a shortlist of defenders — Liverpool’s Joe Gomez is very high on that list #LFC

Al Ittihad like Gomez as versatile player who can play anywhere across the back line.

Liverpool insist they’ve no intention to sell important players in the final days. pic.twitter.com/RdyQQjRj7D

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2023

With yet another Liverpool player being linked with a possible move to Saudi Arabia, it’s no wonder Jurgen Klopp has been so vocal in his discontent over that country’s transfer window staying open for longer than its Premier League equivalent.

We’ve already lost Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Middle East in recent weeks, with Bobby Firmino also flocking to the Gulf after his Anfield contract expired earlier this year.

For Al-Ittihad – the club who are also linked with Salah – to now try to muscle in on Gomez is the latest attempt to unsettle the Reds, who are already at risk of a centre-back shortage due to Ibrahima Konate’s injury and Virgil van Dijk’s suspension.

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The 26-year-old might’ve shipped his share of criticism in recent months and been a less than regular starter since the title-winning season (WhoScored), but he gave an assured performance against Newcastle yesterday in a time of need.

Even if every one of our centre-back options were currently available, it’d be risky for Liverpool to let the Londoner leave so late in the transfer window, and Klopp’s message to Al-Ittihad will surely be along the lines of ‘hands off’.

Let’s hope Gomez has no interest in becoming the latest in the long line of players trading Europe for Saudi Arabia in 2023.

#Ep87 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay & Tobi Altschäffl

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‘A bit of mind games…’ – Ex-Liverpool midfielder weighs in on Mo Salah’s links with Al-Ittihad

Liam Togher — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 09:30:30 +0000

Charlie Adam believes that Mo Salah won’t leave Liverpool this week and that rumours of a move to Al-Ittihad are ‘mind games’ from Saudi Arabia.

The 31-year-old has been linked with a move to the Middle East in recent days, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side reportedly willing to offer him a mammoth weekly wage of £1.5m (Sky Sports).

The rumours have emerged in the lead-up to the Reds’ Premier League clash against Newcastle United, who are owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund which also runs four clubs in the Gulf nation, to which numerous high-profile players have flocked this summer.

However, Adam is confident that the reports about Salah are nothing more than a manipulative tactic by the Saudis ahead of Sunday’s game at St James’ Park.

Speaking about the Egyptian on the talkSPORT Breakfast show on Friday, the ex-Liverpool midfielder said: “I don’t believe he will go. They are playing Newcastle this weekend; there is a bit of the Saudi-backed Newcastle situation.

“Maybe that’s something – they’re just trying to ignite the flame before the match and try to unsettle Salah. They know that Jurgen Klopp, all of the questions he’s going to get today in his press conference will be about Salah and Saudi Arabia.

“It’s maybe a bit of mind games as well. I was reading reports that this club were confident they were going to get Mo Salah. I don’t believe it’s going to be anywhere close, I don’t believe Liverpool will sell him.”

Adam makes a fair point about the timing of the rumours linking Salah with a move to the Saudi Pro League, which have conveniently sprouted in the days before Liverpool take on PIF-owned Newcastle.

Even if a transfer is nowhere close to happening, there’s a possibility that the 31-year-old could be tempted by a lucrative move to the division where his former attacking partners Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane are now based.

Two other ex-Anfield teammates in Fabinho and Jordan Henderson also flocked to the Middle East this summer, and the former plays for the same club who are now trying to recruit the Egyptian superstar.

The seismic influence of the Saudi Pro League makes it impossible to discount any player in world football from being lured to the Gulf nation, but you’d hope that these rumours have come too late in the day for Liverpool to cash in on Salah, no matter how much is offered.

The attacker’s performance at St James’ Park tomorrow will be scrutinised very closely amid this unwanted backdrop, and hopefully a strong display from our number 11 will reinforce the belief that he’s quite happy where he is right now.

#Ep87 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay & Tobi Altschäffl

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Ex-Liverpool striker names the price at which Reds ‘can’t afford to say no’ to selling Mo Salah

Liam Togher — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 19:56:07 +0000

Stan Collymore has urged Liverpool to hold out for a world record fee for Mo Salah, although he named a figure at which he feels the Reds would have to cash in on the Egyptian.

The 31-year-old has been the subject of interest from Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad, who are reportedly willing to offer him a gargantuan weekly wage of £1.5m to bring him to the Middle East (Sky Sports).

His tally of 187 goals puts him fifth in LFC’s all-time scoring charts (lfchistory.net), which contextualises just how special a player he’s been for Jurgen Klopp’s side, hence why Collymore is imploring his former club to demand an unprecedented transfer fee for our number 11.

Speaking to CaughtOffside, the 52-year-old said: “The reality is, Liverpool aren’t in the same financial bracket as the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, so if Al-Ittihad, or any other club, make them an offer, and don’t get me wrong, it’ll have to be a mega offer, probably a world-record, then I can see them accepting because they just can’t afford to say no to something like £300 million.

“I don’t see Salah as a disruptive type of player, but again, if reports he’s being offered £1,500,000-per week are to be believed, there is no way he’s turning his back on that. Who would?

“But it isn’t just the money on offer that will appeal to Salah. There’s a huge cultural aspect to this touted move. He’s a strict Muslim and let’s be honest, he isn’t a born n’ bred Scouser.

“Yes, he will go down as a Liverpool legend but he’s a career professional that has already had several high-profile transfers in his time so why wouldn’t he move to the Middle East?

“For me, it’s quite simple. If I’m Liverpool, I am holding firm and saying to Al-Ittihad ‘If you really want to sign Salah, you’ll need to offer £300 million, and if you do that, we’ll fly him to Jeddah ourselves’.”

£300m is massive money for any club to reap from selling just one player, and such an influx could provide the funds for several additions, so you can see why Collymore feels an offer of that amount would be too attractive for Liverpool to turn down.

However, Mo Salah is not just any old player. He’s needed just six years at Anfield to make himself one of the greatest to ever pull on the iconic red shirt, and the timing of Al-Ittihad’s interest couldn’t be worse from our perspective.

There’s only one week remaining in the summer transfer window, so if LFC were to do the unthinkable and cash in on the 31-year-old, who of a similar quality could they realistically seek to bring in between now and 11pm next Friday?

Having scored 23 or more goals in each of his six full seasons for Liverpool (Transfermarkt), Salah is consistency personified, and the top-up to the transfer kitty from selling him would be negated by how much harder the team would find it to come anywhere close to challenging for major silverware.

The time will come when the Egyptian legend and the Reds will have to part ways, but that time certainly isn’t now. Not for £300m, not for £1bn, not for any money the Saudi champions might want to throw at us.

#Ep87 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay & Tobi Altschäffl

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‘If all goes to plan…’ – Romano drops Liverpool exit update; player due for medical ‘soon’

Liam Togher — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:21:51 +0000

Fabrizio Romano has tweeted an update on Fabinho’s prospective exit from Liverpool on Friday morning, stating that his proposed move to Al-Ittihad is ‘closing in’.

Although the 29-year-old’s transfer to the Saudi Pro League encountered some delays earlier this week (The Athletic), it seems that the transaction could now be very close to being completed.

Earlier this morning, the Italian journalist tweeted: “Understand Al Ittihad and Liverpool are closing in on Fabinho deal. Agreement on verge of being completed. #LFC still cautious as documents have to be checked but it’s v close.

“Fabinho will undergo medical soon, if all goes to plan. Three year deal agreed with the player.”

When it became known that the Brazil midfielder wouldn’t be travelling with the Liverpool squad to Singapore for the next stage of their pre-season preparations – having also been absent for the recent trip to Germany – any lingering hopes of the Saudi move falling through seemed to have ended.

The bureaucratical hold-up to the transfer earlier this week may have led to some Reds fans believing it might collapse, but Romano’s latest update suggests that the Fabinho’s exit is now a matter of when rather than if.

The 29-year-old will leave a substantial void in the Reds’ midfield once he goes, but efforts to fill that gap are continuing apace with the ongoing pursuit of Romeo Lavia, with Hampshire Live reporter Mark Wyatt hinting that the Belgian’s move could be finalised in the next seven days (The Redmen TV).

If both proposed transfers are completed soon, it’ll at least ensure that Liverpool have immediately brought in a defensive midfielder, even if the Southampton teenager lacks the experience that his Brazilian counterpart can boast.

Still, with Wyatt waxing lyrical over the Saints prodigy’s consistency, the blow of losing Fabinho should be softened considerably if Lavia is snapped up promptly.

You can see Romano’s tweet below, via @FabrizioRomano on Twitter:

Understand Al Ittihad and Liverpool are closing in on Fabinho deal. Agreement on verge of being completed #LFC still cautious as documents have to be checked but it’s v close.

Fabinho will undergo medical soon, if all goes to plan. Three year deal agreed with the player. pic.twitter.com/V5kz7lMRuz

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 28, 2023

#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Romano shares what he’s been ‘told’ about Fabinho transfer; explains ‘key point’ to be determined

Liam Togher — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:37:33 +0000

Fabrizio Romano has said that Fabinho’s transfer from Liverpool to Al-Ittihad is ‘absolutely still on’, despite the deal seemingly stagnating in recent days.

Following some reports that the move could be scuppered due to issues over whether his dogs would be allowed into Saudi Arabia, which were later dismissed, it emerged that the hold-up is due to delays in the process rather than anything canine-related (The Athletic).

The Italian transfer reporter appeared to back up that report in his latest Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, pointing out that the deal can’t go through until the necessary documentation is verified.

Romano outlined: “I’m told this deal is absolutely still on, but it was never ‘done’. Verbally it is very advanced, Al Ittihad are still preparing documents and there can’t be any green light without contracts check.

“That’s the key point now, checking all the documents and details of the deal, including payment terms. But the deal, as of now, remains on. Bayern Munich also called last week to be informed on the Fabinho deal in case it collapses.”

From Romano’s update, it seems as if Fabinho is still likely to leave and that it’s just a matter of the relevant documents being sorted.

However, with the 29-year-old due to resume training with Liverpool today after not partaking in the pre-season training camp in Germany (The Athletic), he may be preparing for the possibility of the Saudi deal collapsing and him remaining a Reds player for at least another few months.

Amid the ongoing pursuit of Romeo Lavia, it’s not implausible that the Reds could yet have both the Brazil international and the Southampton teenager as part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad for the upcoming campaign, which many would’ve envisaged as the ideal scenario at the start of the summer.

However, the Anfield hierarchy will also be fully prepared for the possibility of Fabinho’s departure, hence why they’ve now made their move for the Belgian youngster from St Mary’s.

Over the next few days, it should become clearer as to whether one, both or neither are pulling on a red shirt once the summer transfer window reaches its conclusion.

#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Brazilian outlet explains why Fabinho’s Liverpool exit is delayed; refutes claims of dog breed issues

Liam Togher — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:33:49 +0000

A Brazilian news outlet has sought to set the story straight regarding the reasoning behind Fabinho’s transfer from Liverpool to Al-Ittihad being delayed.

There were reports over the weekend that the midfielder’s £40m move could collapse because of Saudi Arabia’s ban on ‘dangerous and aggressive dogs’, with the Brazil international owning two French bulldogs, which the government could potentially classifiy under that category (Daily Express).

However, Globo Esporte have insisted that the deal is being dragged out for purely bureaucratic reasons rather than anything to do with the 29-year-old’s pets.

They claim that the delay is due to a missing bank statement to serve as proof of funds to facilitate the completion of the transfer, following on from a meeting of Al-Ittihad representatives in London over the weekend.

Fabinho is still expected to fly out to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to sign a contract with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side and finalise the move.

On surface level, a missing financial document seems a more standard and plausible reason for delaying a transfer than a dispute over the legality of dog breeds in a country.

However, only the parties involved in the prospective deal will know the real reasons as to why it’s being held up, and how long it’ll take for any complications to be sorted before it can officially go through.

Whatever the reality might be, it still seems likely that Fabinho will seal his move to Al-Ittihad before long, which’ll leave Liverpool needing to bring in a replacement for his defensive midfield role in the team.

Reports this morning indicate that a move for Romeo Lavia could be getting closer, with personal terms being agreed and the Reds set to table an offer to Southampton for the player.

That’d at least ensure that Jurgen Klopp has someone in to fill the number 6 vacancy, but there’s still a possibility that the manager will want another midfielder through the door to ensure that he has an experienced option to compensate for the loss of the Brazilian stalwart.

It promises to be a busy few days on the transfer front, and there could be plenty of twists and turns during the remaining five-and-a-half weeks of the current window.

#Ep82 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Who do Liverpool replace Henderson & Fabinho with?

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New club enters the race for Fabinho as they monitor Al-Ittihad situation very closely – Plettenberg

Peter Kenny Jones — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 18:14:40 +0000

Fabinho looked destined to join Al-Ittihad but there haven’t really been many concrete updates on his situation in the past few days and this silence could be explained by the presence of a new team in the negotiations.

Taking to his Twitter account, Florian Plettenberg reported: ‘News Fabinho: Bayern is monitoring his situation closely!

‘Fabinho, close to join Al-Ittihad as Liverpool wants to finalize the deal soon. Bayern aware of it. But: If the deal falls through, he would be interesting for Bayern! He fits into the profile. Bosses have a top relation to his agent Jorge Mendes’.

Bayern Munich would be an interesting prospect for the Brazilian, of course being able to offer Champions League football and a serious chance of clinching their league title in the new campaign.

The move to Saudi Arabia will furnish our No.3 with a hefty bank balance, a figure that you would assume the Bundesliga outfit would struggle to match.

So, it would be a strange decision to see the 29-year-old depart Anfield for the Allianz Arena as the two clubs can offer him similar levels of competition and wages.

A move to the Saudi Pro League comes with its obvious benefits and whilst many of our supporters will be upset with the defensive midfielder for taking the money, a move to Germany could be both more and less understandable.

The main thing for us is though, that we need to end this matter as quickly as possible and have the chance to replace the player – or start planning for a new season with him.

You can view the Fabinho update via @Plettigoal on Twitter:

News #Fabinho: Bayern is monitoring his situation closely!

Fabinho, close to join Al-Ittihad as Liverpool wants to finalize the deal soon. Bayern aware of it. #LFC

But: If the deal falls through, he would be interesting for Bayern! He fits into the profile. Bosses have… pic.twitter.com/1oaICSXUdc

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) July 21, 2023

#Ep82 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Who do Liverpool replace Henderson & Fabinho with?

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