"There’s a lot of moving parts" - Journalist names another potential suitor for Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah after failed Al-Ittihad move

Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal could join Al-Ittihad in the race for Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

Al-Ittihad spent the closing stages of the summer transfer window pursuing Salah but failed with a £150 million (€174.4 million) bid. Their interest isn't expected to drop, and they could launch a new move for the Egyptian icon in January.

Jacobs claims that Al-Numoor wanted to sign the 31-year-old in time for the FIFA Club World Cup in December. However, he reckons Al-Hilal may come into the equation after sealing the signing of Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer for €90 million, telling GIVEMESPORT:

“What’s interesting about the Salah thing is that Al-Ittihad were pushing late in the window because they wanted Salah for the Club World Cup. But they’re also aware that in a year’s time, they may not be front of queue out of the PIF clubs to get Salah, it might actually be Al-Hilal."

Jacobs added that whoever does sign Liverpool's Salah may be determined by the outcome of the Saudi Pro League title race:

“Whoever gets Salah can be defined even by who wins the league. So there’s a lot of moving parts to these deals, and believe it or not, the club is often allocated by dealmakers quite late."

Al-Hilal spent big this summer on the likes of Neymar, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (€40 million) and Ruben Neves (€55 million).

They also made staggering proposals to Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, per The Guardian. They offered Paris Saint-Germain a world-record €300 million offer for Mbappe and proposed a one-year stay for the Frenchman worth €200 million although he rejected it.

Meanwhile, Messi turned down a €400 million per season offer to join MLS side Inter Miami. Jacobs claims that Al-Za'eem would have tried signing Salah in the summer had they not captured Neymar:

“Prior to Neymar’s arrival, Al-Hilal also had Salah on the list. It went Lionel Messi one, Neymar two, Salah three, in terms of their ranking, because a lot of the clubs have to input who they want and effectively rank the names."

Mohamed Salah isn't just one of the world's best players but also a commercial asset. The Egyptian is a massive name in the Middle East and is held in high regard by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

The Liverpool superstar has started the season strongly with two goals and four assists in five games across competitions. He has two years left in his contract, and the Reds may be wary of him entering the final year of that deal in 2024.

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Saudi director Michael Emenalo refuses to rule Al-Ittihad continuing to push for Liverpool's Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah could still be in Al-Ittihad's sights.

Saudi Pro League director of football Michael Emenalo hasn't shut the door on Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah becoming an Al-Ittihad player.

Despite the reigning Saudi champions' failure to sign the Egyptian, it appears that they will continue their pursuit (via GOAL):

"First and foremost, Mohamed Salah is one of the best players on the planet. I've said before, privately and publicly that we welcome anybody that wants to come (to the SPL) and that includes Salah."

The Saudi director continued by explaining why the potential deal didn't happen in the summer:

"If it didn't happen, it's not because we no longer fancy the player, or because we have a problem with Liverpool. It's because certain things that need to align for all the parties involved in the process didn't align."

He hinted that Al-Ittihad could still complete the transfer and bring the Liverpool hero to the Saudi Pro League:

"Nobody is angry. We move on, but we absolutely close no doors, and if the opportunity is there to do things and do it well - and it brings Mohamed Salah to the Saudi Pro League, we will all be very grateful."

Liverpool were eager to keep hold of Mohamed Salah with little time to replace their fifth all-time top goalscorer. He has been at Anfield since 2017 and has since become a hero for the Reds.

He has bagged 188 goals and 83 assists in 310 games across competitions, winning the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and the League Cup.