Al Ettifaq mock Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp over Mohamed Salah transfer in Demarai Gray announcement
09/07/2023 08:07 AM
Al Ettifaq have secured the signature of Demarai Gray, but could not resist the temptation of mocking Jurgen Klopp over Mohamed Salah.
Gray leaves Everton to join the Saudi Pro League side managed by Steven Gerrard in a £10million deal.
But rather than celebrate the incoming deal in isolation, Al Ettifaq appeared to take shots at Liverpool and Klopp over his refusal to sanction the sale of Salah to Saudi Arabia.
Gerrard was asked about a possible Al Ettifaq approach for the Egyptian King earlier in the summer transfer window, but played down the rumours, while rivals Al Ittihad failed with a bid to sign him.
In a video posted on their official Twitter account to announce the Gray deal, an ‘Ettifaq transfer game’ is played.
As Liverpool are selected from the Premier League section, the club attempt to sign Mohamed Salah, before being shown a ‘No!’ met with an angry-looking face from Klopp.
It then moves onto Aston Villa forward Philippe Coutinho, who remains a target, and whose Brazilian passport is given an arrival stamp, suggesting the player is on the verge of a transfer elsewhere.
Gray is then revealed and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano’s face can be seen with the words ‘Gray to Al Shabab’, before being removed, and replaced with ‘Demarai Gray to Al Ettifaq, here we go’; with ‘signed successfully’ emerging in green.
The 27-year-old, who had not played for Everton this season, departs just days after appearing to take aim at manager Sean Dyche in a statement on Instagram.
“Everton fans have always been great with me but it’s so difficult to play for someone who don’t show you respect as a person,” Gray wrote.
Dyche responded in an interview with Everton’s website, claiming Gray ‘didn’t want to train’ and ‘didn’t want to be here’.
Salah’s future at Liverpool has come under increasing scrutiny over the last week.
The 31-year-old was subject of a £150million bid from Al Ittihad, which was instantly rejected by the Reds.
However, the Saudi Pro League side are planning on returning as they prepare a world record offer of £200m for the winger.
The transfer window in the Gulf State closes on Thursday evening, so it certainly is a race against time if they are to get their man.
Salah, who has netted 187 goals in 307 appearances for the club since 2017, has two years left on his current deal.
Klopp, however, has remained adamant all along the Egypt international is not for sale.
“The position remains the same, absolutely,” the Kop boss said recently. “There's no doubt about that.
“He cannot go, that's how it is. So there's nothing else to say."
When asked whether an offer had been submitted, the German replied: "Not as far as I know but that doesn't mean lot, to be honest."
The Saudi club, managed by former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, are expected to return again next summer should a deal not materialise this time.
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