Former Liverpool chief drops worrying Mo Salah claim as ‘entirely possible’ exit route is named

Liverpool are in real danger of losing Mo Salah at the season’s end with former Reds sporting director Jorg Schmadtke insisting a move to Saudi Arabia is “entirely possible” – though the Reds have already identified their top target to take his place in their attack.

The talismanic Liverpool star moved to Anfield in a bargain £36.9m move from Roma in the summer of 2017 and has gone on to score an incredible 219 goals in 363 appearances for the Reds in that time. But the 32-year-old will be out of contract at Anfield in just eight months and eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club of his choosing from January 1 – just 60 days.

The Reds are keen to tie Salah down to a new deal, but the attacker knows he is a man in high demand and has several sides eager to snap him up as a free agent were the opportunity to arise.

Now former Liverpool chief Schmadtke, who spent eight months as the club’s sporting director in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the helm, has revealed that he can foresee the player moving to Saudi Arabia.

During his time at the helm, Liverpool rejected a £150m offer from Al-Ittihad and with their interest remaining on the table, Schmadtke has delivered a worrying update on the Reds’ star man.

“I don’t know, but it is entirely possible that this will happen,” Schmadtke told Al-Eqtisadiah when questioned on Salah’s future. “The Saudi League is developing every year, due to more money being invested in the competition.

“The Saudi League deals have affected the work of some European clubs, but the matter does not rise to the level of harm, and I welcome working in it if I receive a good offer.”

READ MORE ~ Exclusive: Salah told three big reasons to sign new Liverpool deal as pundit dismisses major move

What are the truths over Salah future at Liverpool?

Salah himself has kept a diplomatic silence on his future since airing those “as you know this is my last season” comments live on Sky Sports following the 3-0 routing of Manchester United at Old Trafford.

And while his agent has hit out at speculation on his client’s future with a 41-word rant on social media, it has since been claimed that the player’s preference is indeed to stay at Anfield.

However, with no agreement yet reached and with time ticking down on his deal, there remains a very real danger that Liverpool could indeed lose their star man.

To that end, sources told TEAMtalk back in September that there was a very real fear at Anfield that Salah could depart after a failure to strike an agreement following a first round of talks with the player.

In the days that followed, the Reds are yet to have reached a breakthrough on an extension to a deal that already earns the player some £350,000 a week.

And while Al-Ittihad are reportedly prepared to pay Salah around £1.3m a week, pressure is on the Reds to find an agreement, though FSG will also question that at the age of 32, it may be difficult to tie him down to a similar arrangement this time.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has also kept his cool over the player’s future, insisting he remains happy at all of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk’s focus.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Slot stated: “For me, the contract situation could become a problem if the players don’t perform as well as they do at the moment.

“Of course, it’s not sure that if, if, if they perform not as good any more that it has anything to do with their contract situation.

“At the moment all three of them are in a good place, all of them perform really, really, really well and there are ongoing discussions, as Virgil said, with the people he has to talk with, and that’s not me as you know. I talk with him to him about other things.

“Let’s wait and see but all that he said is completely right in that he doesn’t exactly know what the future will be as long as he doesn’t sign the contract yet.”

Latest Liverpool transfer news: Salah heir chosen / Reds rekindle Real Madrid interest

Meanwhile, Liverpool are reported to have decided on Salah’s Anfield heir were the Egyptian to depart next summer, with reports in Germany revealing the Reds have ‘officially been in contact’ with the representatives of his countryman Omar Marmoush.

The Eintracht Frankfurt attacker has an impressive 11 goals and seven assists from just 13 appearances having blasted in 12 goals and six assists in his debut campaign.

Per SportsBILD, Liverpool have now placed Marmoush at the top of their wishlist to replace Salah – but have been warned that any deal for the Egyptian will not come cheap.

Elsewhere, Liverpool continue to be linked with a new midfielder, having missed out on Martin Zubimendi over the summer. And while the Spain star continues to be linked, a trusted Liverpool source has refused to rule out the prospect of a raid on Real Madrid instead.

The Reds are also strongly tracking a new left-back amid a belief that Andy Robertson’s influence may be waning.

The Scot has been a figure of consistency since his bargain arrival from Hull in the same summer as Salah but is not as effective or influential as he once was – leading to a strong belief that Liverpool are now chasing an upgrade.

They have been linked with Ajax teenager Jorrel Hato – but TEAMtalk sources believe the Reds could look closer to home and have their eyes firmly fixed on a rival Premier League star.

Salah’s incredible Liverpool record season by season