Speaking to BoyleSports about Premier League betting, former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer believes Liverpool should cash in on Mohamed Salah if Al-Ittihad are to bid £200m for the Egyptian. He said:
“Everyone’s been caught by surprise. I think they’ve seen it coming but I don’t think they realised how aggressive the Saudi League was going to be. They’ve been left to their own devices. And all of a sudden everyone sat up and thought, “this is the real deal”.
“It’s got more sustainable than what China had when they tried to do it. There’s a lot of money being thrown around. They’re making massive statements in the world of football. And it all came very, very quickly. And in that sense, I don’t think anyone’s sat down and quite realised that they’ve still got five or six days longer than the Premier League and all the European leagues to delve into the market. So it’s left everyone worried. Now the event is here because they can still take whatever they want.
“I’ve read all the papers, and as much as Jurgen Klopp wants to bang the door and say he’s not for sale, everything’s got a price in life. If they come knocking with 200-250 million, the owners, I just don’t think they can turn that kind of money down for a 31 year old who is in the last two years of this contract.”
