Parting ways with one of your best players is never easy, but according to recent reports, Liverpool and coach Jürgen Klopp have to admit the fact that turning down a big bid for Mohamed Salah would not be the way to go.
The English side turned down hefty bids to see Salah leaving the club to join Al-Ittihad before the transfer window in the Premier League was shut. Nevertheless, the Saudi Arabian side is reportedly ready to test Liverpool's resolve with an improved bid, which would make Salah the most expensive transfer in history.
An article by The Sun states that the yellow and black side are ready to offer Liverpool over $270M for the player's services, which would break the world record for a football transfer, set by Neymar's move to PSG in 2017. Considering these numbers and with Salah entering the final stage of his career, there are some who believe Liverpool should look at the bigger picture and accept the bid from the Saudi club.
One of those is none other than Jamie Carragher, who admitted that even if Salah is still quite an asset for Liverpool, the money from that transfer could be too hard to turn down, especially after some of the moves that have taken place in the Premier League recently.
"When you look at what Harry Kane went for, about £100m, and he is a year or two younger but he only had a year to go on his deal at Spurs. Salah has two years to go, he looks after himself really well. For Liverpool to sell now, they aren't going to want what he is worth, they will want more than that," Carragher told Sky Sports.
Carragher went on to admit that Salah's valuation would not even come close to such a staggering bid if the Saudi Pro League had not taken the international transfer window by storm.
"He wouldn't be worth £150m without the Saudi market, probably closer to £100m. But why have they left it so late? If they wanted him so badly, and they were prepared to spend the money, why didn't they do it six months ago when they might have got him?" Carragher added.
Then, the former defender concluded by mentioning how relevant it would be for Liverpool to give in to that offer.
"It is up to Liverpool and it is up to Salah, he may not want to go. I think even for supporters who love him and don't want him to move, if that number keeps going up and up, there is a stage where they can't turn it down, and that would be £200m,"Carragher said.
Salah is still under contract with Liverpool for two more seasons, but if things continue their current course, we may not see him wearing the Reds' jersey one more time.