Saudis confident Mo Salah will agree massive contract to leave Liverpool, with stunning double deal to be ramped up

The Saudis believe they have a good chance of signing Liverpool superstar Mo Salah as they also prepare to accelerate talks for Manchester City ace Kevin De Bruyne, TEAMtalk can reveal.

Chiefs at the Saudi Pro League continue to have Salah and De Bruyne among their top targets for next season. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) plans to resume contact with both players immediately after the January transfer window closes.

The Saudis want to convince them to sign pre-contract agreements so they can join as free agents in summer 2025. This is to ensure that Salah and De Bruyne do not renew with Liverpool and Man City respectively, and to prevent rival clubs from joining the race for the pair.

The Saudis are busy drawing up a monster two-year contract offer for Salah, which will include the option for an extra 12 months. The forward signing this contract would make him one of the best-paid players in the Saudi Pro League.

Sources have informed TEAMtalk that Salah is absolutely open to the idea of playing in the Middle East, having already given his approval during previous talks.

Salah held discussions over joining Al-Ittihad in summer 2023 but the transfer was stopped as Liverpool rejected the mammoth £150million (€180.3m / $190.7m) bid that came in.

Confidence is high in Saudi Arabia that Salah will accept their latest proposal.

Al-Hilal are the PIF-owned side showing the most interest in the Egyptian. Although, no firm decision has been made on the exact club he will join.

Man City hero De Bruyne remains among the Saudis’ primary targets, just like Salah. The attacking midfielder was close to joining Al-Ittihad in the summer but ended up staying at the Etihad.

Al-Ittihad remain on De Bruyne’s trail, while Al-Nassr have since joined the chase. Personal terms should not be a problem as De Bruyne agreed these in previous negotiations with Saudi chiefs.

However, PIF are concerned that Major League Soccer clubs are starting to move for De Bruyne. PIF therefore want to speed up talks with the Belgium captain so he does not follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi.

Messi had been close to heading to Saudi Arabia in July 2023, only to join Inter Miami instead.

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Salah, De Bruyne futures uncertain

TEAMtalk’s update comes after it emerged on Thursday that Salah is a ‘dream’ target for Saudi chiefs.

The 32-year-old recently piled the pressure on Liverpool by telling reporters that he is currently ‘more out than in’ at Anfield and that he still has not received a firm contract offer.

Should Liverpool either take too long, or decide to sign a new right winger, then the Saudis will be ready and waiting to snap Salah up.

David Ornstein has also provided his information on De Bruyne’s future. He states that the playmaker’s main options are to extend with City, head to Saudi Arabia or join MLS.

Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli are described as De Bruyne’s main suitors in the Middle East.

But if the playmaker decides he wants to continue building his legacy at City, then an agreement should be ‘straightforward’. De Bruyne simply needs to inform the Citizens of his intentions.

De Bruyne has ‘held some conversations’ with MLS clubs, but most of his talks centred around moving to the US have been with MLS chiefs themselves.

READ MORE: Liverpool’s £50m Salah transfer replacement shut down as Anfield uncertainty continues

Liverpool given Alexander-Arnold hope; City in Juventus talks

Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher is growing in confidence that Trent Alexander-Arnold will reject Real Madrid and sign a contract extension with Liverpool.

“I think the reaction to him will be different to Salah when we start talking about his [contract situation],” Carragher said.

“I think he will get a lot more criticism because when you’re a local player a lot more is thought of you. And I think that the feeling of the Liverpool supporters will worry him a little bit and I think he’ll end up signing.”

Carragher added: “I think he will be very worried about the reaction if he didn’t sign and he left on a free to go to, say, Real Madrid.

“I think the feeling with Liverpool supporters would be a lot different to what it has been of late, in the last few days, with Mo Salah… because he’s a local player.”

Elsewhere, reports in Italy state Juventus technical director Cristiano Giuntoli has held talks with several Premier League clubs – including City – about selling two players.

It is claimed that Giuntoli has travelled to Manchester to discuss Douglas Luiz and Nicolo Fagioli potentially joining either City or United.

Luiz and Fagioli could be sacrificed so Juve can land a defender and striker in January.

Luiz only joined Juve from Aston Villa in July but has not had the desired impact in Turin so far.

Salah key to Liverpool success