{"id":291120,"date":"2023-09-18T21:34:59","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T21:34:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/?p=291120"},"modified":"2023-09-18T21:34:59","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T21:34:59","slug":"mohamed-salah-was-ready-to-leave-liverpool-claims-michail-antonio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/soccer\/mohamed-salah-was-ready-to-leave-liverpool-claims-michail-antonio\/","title":{"rendered":"Mohamed Salah was 'ready to leave' Liverpool claims Michail Antonio"},"content":{"rendered":"
Michail Antonio has claimed Mohamed Salah was keen to leave Liverpool this summer amid interest in the Eygptian star from Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest stories during the back end of the transfer window was<\/span>\u00a0Salah‘s future at Anfield after the Reds rejected an initial \u00a3150million bid from Saudi champions Al-Ittihad.<\/span><\/p>\n Reports suggested they were prepared to go back in with a \u00a3200m offer but Jurgen Klopp’s side managed to stave off their interest and keep their player, until at least January.<\/span><\/p>\n During the brief saga, Klopp repeatedly stressed the speculation did not concern him, while Salah remained silent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And West Ham forward Antonio insisted the 31-year-old – who would have received an annual salary of \u00a3100m after tax for three years – was interested in the move, but the Reds outright refused to give him that opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Michail Antonio claimed Mohamed Salah wanted to join Al-Ittihad from Liverpool this summer<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Antonio insisted Salah was ‘ready to go’ but the Reds refused to countenance a departure\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘He didn\u2019t turn that down, no way,’ Antonio told the Footballer’s Football Podcast.<\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/span>He was locked up and the Reds had put that red arrow across: “You are not going anywhere”.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘He did not stop that at all. To be fair to him, he didn\u2019t kick up a fuss and let them do what they were doing. But I know for a fact that he was ready to go.’\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the extortionate sums of money on offer in the Middle East, Antonio also argued Salah had other motivations for his move after a stellar six years at Anfield.<\/p>\n The Egyptian star has 188 goals for Liverpool and is fifth in their all-time goalscoring charts, while he has won every trophy available to him at the club.<\/p>\n He added: ‘What else can he do at Liverpool? He\u2019s done it. It\u2019s [Saudi] a great opportunity for him, he is a Muslim man and it had everything screaming out for him.<\/p>\n ‘There was no actual negative for the man to not go. I understand he has a contract, which he has fulfilled.’\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Al-Ittihad\u00a0 are managed by Nuno Espirito Santo and had an initial bid worth \u00a3150m rejected<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Salah is one of Liverpool’s greatest players of all-time, having scored 188 goals for the club<\/p>\n Salah hasn’t let the speculation distract him, with the 31-year-old scoring two goals and adding four assists in his first five games this season, as Liverpool remain unbeaten.<\/p>\n However, Mail Sport reported earlier this month how\u00a0Al-Ittihad believe their pursuit to sign Salah is only on hold, and they plan to make another move in the future.<\/p>\n The Reds are back in action on Thursday when they face Austrian side LASK in the Europa League, before they take on West Ham on Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n