[Football] Mo Salah: will he, won't he?

[Weststander]

What's going to be done about this? Anything? Before it's too late? Maybe it is too late. Even if it only lasts another year the amount of money the top teams will have syphoned off from this will have completely distorted things beyond repair. Chelsea should have been f***ed this year. Totally bailed out.
It's really, really worrying.
Liverpool would be mad to turn this down if they Saudis keep raising their bid.

It depends. Top 5 come May 2024 means absolutely everything to 7 PL clubs, far more than ever. That's not just about money.

 

[Da Man Clay]

Putting aside geopolitics, the Saudi's human rights record and other dubious practises for a moment, there's a huge amount of hypocrisy about this issue in this country. I don't think you'll find any other European teams and leagues who have sympathy for Premier League teams on this matter. What they're doing is no different to what the Premier League has done for years.

Why should FIFA get involved unless you want them to do the same here and stop clubs like Brighton being able to buy players from the side who won the French league two years ago purely because of a quirk of geography that we're part of the richest league in the world?

Yeah this. It’s just a grander scale than the PL has been doing for years

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Would a Spurs supporter love to see the back of him and a weakened rival for Top 5?

I want him to stay, think he will sulk massively.

Already seen signs of it

 

[Greg Bobkin]

The whole thing stinks and it would be both encouraging and heartwarming if Liverpool continue to tell them to stuff their money where the sun don’t shine. Having said that, they would be absolutely bloody stupid to turn the money down if another offer comes in. I reckon they have enough in their squad to keep them going until mid season.

There was a suggestion as part of the aforementioned Jim Shite and co chat (made by Simon Jordan, I think) that Liverpool (or, specifically, FSG) were essentially part of the whole charade and are merely holding out for as much money as they can get. Basically, they know that the Saudis have money to burn (literally, probably) and will keep on coming back – plus the Saudi window stays open for a while longer – until they get what they want.

It's part of the new world order of football, I'm afraid. People keep saying the bubble will burst, but the costs and salaries keep going up and up and the fans keep going and paying their money (us, included).

It's all a bit odd though. As the youngest Bobkin Jnr (who was in the car while I was listening to the chat) said: "Isn't it really weird how you can buy people for millions of pounds?" Out of context a bit, but she's got a bit of a point!

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

What's going to be done about this? Anything? Before it's too late? Maybe it is too late. Even if it only lasts another year the amount of money the top teams will have syphoned off from this will have completely distorted things beyond repair. Chelsea should have been f***ed this year. Totally bailed out.
It's really, really worrying.
Liverpool would be mad to turn this down if they Saudis keep raising their bid.

There is absolutely no point doing anything in line with FFP anymore

 

[bomber130]

Worse case scenario is they sell salah and come for Furguson in January

 

[Mustafa II]

If the Saudis do come in with a £200m bid for Salah, then they would be mad not to take it.

It'll definitely f*** their season up somewhat - but no player is worth that kind of money, especially at 31 years old.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

If the Saudis do come in with a £200m bid for Salah, then they would be mad not to take it.

It'll definitely f*** their season up somewhat - but no player is worth that kind of money, especially at 31 years old.

Also, they've effectively bought replacements already. Diaz, Jota, Nunez, the Hungarian fella( ). They've got plenty of options

Salah is on the slide, he won't continue at that level of the last 2 or 3 years for the next 2 or 3 years.

 

[Muzzman]

At the moment, I'm finding the Saudi's upsetting the applecart funny. It hasn't affected us yet, but it's certainly putting the frighteners up the established 'big' clubs. They haven't had to deal with being relentlessly pursued and poached from, it's not pleasant and I'm enjoying them having to suffer it.

 

[Javeaseagull]

At the moment, I'm finding the Saudi's upsetting the applecart funny. It hasn't affected us yet, but it's certainly putting the frighteners up the established 'big' clubs. They haven't had to deal with being relentlessly pursued and poached from, it's not pleasant and I'm enjoying them having to suffer it.

I know what you mean and find it funny myself. Then I realised that the Saudis are bailing out top 6 clubs and enabling them comply with FFP. Didn’t find that nearly as funny. Chelsea will be back to plague us because they are too thick to think of anything else.

 

[raymondo]

If he goes they'll be sniffing around Mitoma come January

 

[hans kraay fan club]

At the moment, I'm finding the Saudi's upsetting the applecart funny. It hasn't affected us yet, but it's certainly putting the frighteners up the established 'big' clubs. They haven't had to deal with being relentlessly pursued and poached from, it's not pleasant and I'm enjoying them having to suffer it.

Hasn't affected us!?

How do you think Chelsea were able to spend all that money on Caicedo, a couple of weeks after being unable to spend anything due to FFP limits...?

 

[BBassic]

Hasn't affected us!?

How do you think Chelsea were able to spend all that money on Caicedo, a couple of weeks after being unable to spend anything due to FFP limits...?

Quite.

Ali Mac to Liverpool as well. He was always going there but became a necessity when Henderson and Fabinho went.

 

[Muzzman]

Hasn't affected us!?

How do you think Chelsea were able to spend all that money on Caicedo, a couple of weeks after being unable to spend anything due to FFP limits...?

He would have gone to Liverpool or elsewhere, so it doesn't matter where he went really. There's no stopping the Saudi money, I'm glad we're getting some of it by proxy though.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Quite.

Ali Mac to Liverpool as well. He was always going there but became a necessity when Henderson and Fabinho went.

The collapsed Caicedo deal was made possible by Saudi money, but Ali Mac joined on 8th June. Those two left in late July and early August, respectively.

 

[Weststander]

Old Jim White hardly goes on about this supposed transfer any more. Last Thursday he had the Vaseline out for 3 hours on the subject, a cert that the Saudis would get their man now.

I'm taking this change of tone as he got it spectacularly wrong and he wasn't the only one. I took a Sky screenshot of that fountain of knowledge Merson stating that Salah was departing for £200m.

[Of course, they might still be correct].

 

[Change at Barnham]

If Liverpool turn down £200m now, they will still get £100m to £150m in a years time.
He signed a new contract last season, so it's not as if he's going to walk away on a free transfer.

Selling him now would end Liverpool's title challenge and deflate their whole fanbase.
Tempting as it is to cash in, without the opportunity to buy a replacement they won't sell him now.
If the Saudi's had offered £150m in June or July they probably would have got him.

 

[BBassic]

The collapsed Caicedo deal was made possible by Saudi money, but Ali Mac joined on 8th June. Those two left in late July and early August, respectively.

Ah fair, I stand corrected

 

[um bongo molongo]

If Liverpool turn down £200m now, they will still get £100m to £150m in a years time.
He signed a new contract last season, so it's not as if he's going to walk away on a free transfer.

Selling him now would end Liverpool's title challenge and deflate their whole fanbase.
Tempting as it is to cash in, without the opportunity to buy a replacement they won't sell him now.
If the Saudi's had offered £150m in June or July they probably would have got him.

This is how I see it as well. They’ll sell him next summer

 

[sparkie]

There is no way Liverpool could spin this to their fan base now that our window is shut.

I'd be seething if we sold a star when we couldn't get a replacement in