Salah 'committed' to Liverpool amid Saudi interest - Klopp - ESPN

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has downplayed speculation that Mohamed Salah could move to the Saudi Pro League and said the player is "100% committed" to the club.

ESPN reported on Thursday that Salah emerged as a target for Al Ittihad, who want the Egypt international to form a strike partnership with former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema at the Jeddah-based team.

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Sources told ESPN that Liverpool will reject any offers for the forward and Klopp said he will remain at Anfield this season.

"It's always difficult to talk about media stories because there's nothing to talk about from our point of view," Klopp told a news conference ahead of Liverpool's game with Saudi-owned Newcastle United at St James' Park on Sunday.

"We don't have an offer, Mo Salah is a Liverpool player. Obviously for all the things we do, essential, was, will be. There's nothing there, if there would be something the answer would be no."

Salah has scored 187 goals in 307 appearances since joining Liverpool in 2017, helping the club win the Premier League and Champions League.

Klopp said that Salah, who signed a three-year extension to his contract last year, is committed to Liverpool.

Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, also said earlier this month that the player was committed to the Merseyside club.

Liverpool went down to 10 men in their 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday with the sending off of Alexis Mac Allister. His red card has since been rescinded after an appeal and Klopp said it was a massive relief.

Mac Allister is now available for the game at Newcastle where Klopp will face Eddie Howe.

Howe took over at Newcastle in 2021 and led the club to a fourth place finish last season and Champions League qualification. Klopp described him as a super coach.

Klopp said right back Trent Alexander-Arnold is fit after leaving the field with a knock against Bournemouth last weekend, while midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones will be ready from Monday.

Centre back Ibrahima Konaté is struggling with a muscle injury, and he is a doubt for the Newcastle game.

Liverpool have four points after two Premier League games with Newcastle one point behind.

Information from Reuters and Associated Press was included in this report.