Al-Ittihad, a club in the Saudi Pro League, made an ambitious attempt to secure Liverpool's star player, Mohamed Salah, on a one-year loan deal. The Saudi sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, revealed that the club approached Salah with a substantial offer, but Liverpool, where Salah is the record Premier League scorer, showed no interest in negotiating the deal.

The Saudi Pro League made headlines by successfully signing renowned footballers such as former Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema and Ballon d'Or winner N'Golo Kante for Al-Ittihad. Additionally, Al-Hilal managed to secure Brazilian sensation Neymar from Paris St Germain, while Al-Nassr pulled off a significant deal by signing Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in 2023. These high-profile signings were part of the league's strategy to attract top talent through the Sports Recruitment Program, overseen by the Saudi sports minister.

Despite the allure of an "astronomical" sum offered for Salah's services by Al-Ittihad, the deal fell through as Liverpool, holding Salah under contract until 2025, did not entertain the possibility of parting ways with their star player. With Salah's prolific scoring record and importance to Liverpool's squad, the club made it clear that there was no intention to negotiate his departure. The failed attempt to secure Salah on loan underscores the competitive nature of football's transfer market and the challenges clubs face in acquiring top talents from elite teams like Liverpool.