Liverpool are determined to rebuff further approaches from Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah but the next few days are likely to prove every bit of the challenge manager Jurgen Klopp predicted. Mike Gordon, president of owners Fenway Sports Group, politely but firmly rejected the Saudi Pro League’s offer of a £150million deal for the Egypt international and declared the matter closed as far as the club were concerned. However, with the Pro League’s transfer window open until Thursday, there is the very real prospect Al-Ittihad will return with an improved bid which will have even more of a destabilising effect. Which is why Klopp again expressed his concern about the discrepancy as “nobody (in Europe) can react any more”. When Saudi interest in the 31-year-old first reared its head last month, the Egyptian’s agent Ramy Abbas wrote on Twitter on August 7: “If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC.” Abbas has not been as forthcoming this time around and although the Salah bid has undoubtedly loomed large over preparations for Sunday’s visit of Aston Villa, Klopp said he had seen “absolutely nothing” to worry about and that Salah was “super-committed”. However, this week’s developments look like the start of a long goodbye for Salah, who will be 32 next summer and in the final year of his £350,000-a-week contract – which easily makes him the highest-paid player in the club’s history – with Liverpool more likely to be amenable to a sale at that point. While the focus of Salah, who has scored scored 138 goals in 221 Premier League appearances, has never been in doubt, Klopp also believes fellow forward Darwin Nunez has a renewed drive following his match-winning two-goal appearance off the bench at Newcastle last week. “Massive, massive, that’s clear. That’s what he wants, what we want,” Klopp said of the effect it would have on the Uruguay international, who started the season as fifth-choice forward. “It’s exactly how it should have been – being a massive threat. You could, of course, see it the next day. But everybody could feel it.” Villa have impressed under Unai Emery this season as, after an opening-day defeat at Newcastle, they have won four successive matches in all competitions. “Aston Villa is a machine – counter-attack, good organised, everyone committed 100 per cent. When they defend deep then they defend with their all and from there they go,” said Klopp. “It’s a massive game, no doubt about it. Yeah, we have to play a top game to get something out of it. “After that it is the international break, so we could make a good start (and) turn it into a really good start to the season result-wise. “But there are a massive 115 minutes in between now and then.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live There is no substitute for international cricket – England’s Jonny Bairstow Novak Djokovic survives scare in bid for record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title Day five at US Open: Novak Djokovic avoids shock as Iga Swiatek upsets best mate

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Chelsea could be about to snatch away Liverpool’s expected marquee signing, Moisés Caicedo, at the eleventh hour. Negotiations for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder went down to the wire yesterday, according to reports, with Liverpool seemingly securing the player for £110m. But Chelsea are reportedly still in the hunt, after it was widely reported that the London club are ready to bid more than £110m for the Ecuador international. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Caicedo is said to prefer Chelsea, after they made him their top summer transfer target. Chelsea have been frontrunners for Caicedo for much of the summer and submitted an offer worth up to £100m on Thursday. But Liverpool stunned the mid-table side by muscling in with a higher offer for the 21-year-old. The situation remained fast-moving on Friday afternoon. Liverpool’s manager, Jürgen Klopp, said: “I can confirm the deal with [Brighton] is agreed, whatever that means because we want the player and not any kind of agreement – we will see.” “We are a club that doesn’t have endless resources, we didn’t expect a couple of things happening in the summer, like [Jordan] Henderson and Fabinho [leaving], stuff like this. “We didn’t think about that before the summer, to be honest, and then it happened. We gave [attempting to sign Jude Bellingham] a go and the club was really stretched. We will see [what happens with Caicedo].” Klopp has said in the past that he would not pay £100m for a player, but on Friday added: “Everything changes. Do I like it? No. But did I realise I was wrong? Definitely. “It is not great but it is the way it goes. It will not change around again. Saudi Arabia will not help. We as a club have to try and make sure with our resources we get the best possible team together … If people want to throw my quotes from five or six years ago, absolutely no problem.” Both teams are seeking to strengthen their midfield before the start of the Premier League season. Chelsea have already lost Mason Mount, N’Golo Kanté, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic before the start of the season. Liverpool, meanwhile, lost Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho. They have signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig. The two sides play on Sunday in their first game of the new season. Which team sheet Caicedo will be named on remains to be seen. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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