Liverpool face missing out on Mohamed Salah, with reports in Russia claiming Zenit St Petersburg are set to make a huge bid for his signature.
The Basle ace has shot to prominence this season, not least for the damage he has inflicted on Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League. Salah was on hand to score the equaliser against the Blues on the way to a shock 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in September, and scored the only goal of the game in the return leg in December.
This has inevitably sparked interest in his signature during the January transfer window, and widespread reports suggested Liverpool were on the verge of signing him. The Reds have made significant progress under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, and this term have a great opportunity of a top-four finish in the Premier League.
For that reason it is expected that money will be made available to add more quality to their squad this month, in a bid to return to the Champions League stage next season. It had been claimed that a five-year deal for Salah had all but been wrapped up, with the Egypt international said to be heading to Merseyside in a deal worth around £8million.
However, according to the Express, reports in Russia claim Zenit are also keen on the forward, and are prepared to blow Liverpool out of the water by offering as much as twice that amount for his signature. The Petrovsky Stadium outfit have in the past shown they can compete with many a European superpower, signing the likes of Hulk and Axel Witsel in recent times, when both were chased by a number of rival clubs.
To add more potential difficulty to Liverpool’s hopes of beating Zenit to Salah, it has also been claimed by Italian news outlet tuttomercato that Borussia Dortmund are interested in the youngster. It has been suggested that the German club have already been in touch with Basle, and have tabled an opening offer to the Swiss club for their prized asset. Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, are also thought to be keeping tabs on the situation.
