West Ham United star Michail Antonio has revealed that he ‘knows for a fact’ that Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah was ready to leave Anfield this summer amid strong interest from Saudi Arabia.
The Egyptian star was the subject of several failed attempts to lure him to the middle east over the summer, with Al-Ittihad ready to pay over £100m for his services, and make him the highest-paid player in world football in the process.
However, Liverpool turned it down and Salah has picked up this season where he left the last, with the 31-year-old having grabbed two goals and four assists in his five outings so far this campaign.
𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞! 🇪🇬 🏴
Mo Salah has joined Steven Gerrard as the only other Liverpool player to reach 200+ goals and assists in the Premier League for the club! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/O1VS0gYkZh
— 90min (@90min_Football) September 18, 2023
Despite this, Antonio is certain that Liverpool blocked his move away, rather than Salah showing any loyalty to the Reds.
“He didn’t turn that down, no way”, he told the Footballers Football Podcast. “He was locked up and the Reds had put that red arrow across: ‘You are not going anywhere’. He did not stop that at all. To be fair to him, he didn’t kick up a fuss and let them do what they were doing. But I know for a fact that he was ready to go.”
“What else can he do at Liverpool? He’s done it. It’s [Saudi] a great opportunity for him, he is a Muslim man and it had everything screaming out for him. There was no actual negative for the man to not go. I understand he has a contract, which he has fulfilled.
Salah is under contract until 2025 at Liverpool, but there is a feeling that Saudi Arabia will try to sign him once more in January or next summer, at which point the dynamics over a move may be very different from both Liverpool and Salah himself.
