13 Months After LeBron James Rejoiced, $100,000,000 Saudi Deal Might Upset Him as $90 Million Rich Star’s Future Up in Air

Published 08/28/2023, 7:30 AM EDT

LeBron James is a man of many talents. He doesn’t just net baskets, but also profits from his keen eye for business. LeBron is a minority shareholder in the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which owns Premier League giants, Liverpool. Saudi Arabia’s recent interest in soccer can turn King James’ rejoice from 13 months ago to hurt. The pressure around the Saudi deal is immense, as it unravels in the coming days.

FSG owns NASCAR’s RFK Racing, Pittsburg Penguins in the National Hockey League, MLB’s Boston Red Sox, and the English Premier League’s soccer club Liverpool FC. LeBron has been an avid fan of the FSG-owned soccer club but their star player might be making a move to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s relentless pursuit of the Egyptian King

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The supporters of the Egyptian king Mohamed Salah are in for a huge shock. Saudi club, Al Ittihad, has offered Liverpool FC and Mo Salah a deal they might not be able to refuse. The 31-year-old left winger signed a contract extension with Liverpool last year, with supporters and LeBron James rejoicing. Al Ittihad, however, has come knocking on the doors of Anfield. The Saudi club is reportedly offering more than $100 million for the Liverpool star.

🚨🗣️ Mohamed #Salah informed #Liverpool that he would like to join #AlIttihad starting a new experience in 🇸🇦.
⏳ The final decision is up to #LFC and Klopp: as told, there is a huge bid (more than $100m) for the 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 club to let him go.
📆 Monday 28th Aug is the deadline. 🐓⚽ https://t.co/QFAFGRDlBe pic.twitter.com/BS8lc7pBMj
— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) August 26, 2023

Mo Salah’s market value is estimated to be around $90 million. A fee of around $100-110 million can be tempting for the FSG-run club, as they know Salah’s value will only decrease due to his age. But, to lose a world-class player like Mo Salah is not that easy. The Egyptian is loved and respected by the Anfield supporters. The club has already sent their former captain and midfielder, Jordan Henderson, to Al Ettifaq. There has been no proper replacement by FSG in that respective position yet.

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Al Ittihad would need a response very soon as the transfer market is nearing its deadline. Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool will also have to plan their moves if they are willing to sell Salah. Jurgen Klopp‘s side has also been ousted in their race to sign Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia by Chelsea. The club will be knee-deep in problems if replacements are not found in time.

Troubling times ahead for Liverpool supporters

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Liverpool has gone through four sporting directors in a short span of 12 months. The club has mostly signed players who have a release clause in their contract. Pursuing such soccer players is easy as teams only have to agree to personal terms and the release clauses are usually well within the budget. The market is now inflated with Saudi Arabia splashing cash on big names and even EPL clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United spending heavily on their requirements.

Negotiations have never been a plus point in Liverpool’s pursuit of players. Playing hardball has only lost them on young talents. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are their only notable signings from this transfer window, both signed on release clauses. Wataru Endo was signed from Stuttgart after the club failed to strike a deal for Lavia and Caicedo, both defensive midfielders, who took their services to Chelsea.

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Watch this story: Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Brings In FIFA World Cup Numbers to Declare Women’s Soccer Popularity in US Shouldn’t Surprise Anyone

It’s 2023 and Liverpool will once again play with Joel Matip and Joe Gomez in the backline. With Van Dijk getting a red card against Newcastle and Ibrahima Konate out with injury, they have no other options. Do you think Liverpool should let Mo Salah leave? Let us know your answer in the comments below.

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Written by:

Neil Banerjee, an adept soccer writer at EssentiallySports, embodies an unwavering passion for Chelsea Football Club, a team he has fervently supported since his childhood. With an innate ability to remain current on the latest developments in the soccer sphere, Neil possesses a distinct advantage in understanding the nuances of the sport. His profound appreciation for the tactical and analytical facets of the game underscore his belief that the true beauty of soccer lies within its intricacies of strategy.

Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra

13 Months After LeBron James Rejoiced, $100,000,000 Saudi Deal Might Upset Him as $90 Million Rich Star’s Future Up in Air

Saudi Arabia’s relentless pursuit of the Egyptian King

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Troubling times ahead for Liverpool supporters