Chris Sutton thinks Liverpool forward Mo Salah “owes Jurgen Klopp one” and thinks it would be a “real slap across the face” if decided to leave this summer.

A report in CBS Sports yesterday insisted that Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad are ‘ready to test’ Liverpool with a €150m bid for Salah before the end of the transfer window.

It is understood that Al-Ittihad have made Salah their ‘highest priority target between now and the end of their transfer window on September 20 and are prepared to sanction a deal that would greatly eclipse their country’s transfer record’.

Reacting to reported interest in Salah from Saudi Arabia, Liverpool boss Klopp said on Friday: “Mo Salah is a Liverpool player and essential for everything we do. If there would be something, the answer would be no. My life philosophy is I think about a problem when I have it, and there is absolutely nothing at the moment.”

It seems unlikely that Liverpool would sanction the Egypt international’s departure so close to the transfer deadline and even more unlikely once the window shuts, with Saudi clubs still able to make transfers up until September 20.

And former Blackburn Rovers and Celtic striker Chris Sutton reckons it “would be an absolute scandal” if Salah chose to force a move away from Liverpool before the window shuts.

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Sutton told the Mail Sport podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off‘: “My thoughts are Mo Salah cannot leave Liverpool at this time to go to Saudi. Just based on the timing of it.

“We’re a couple of days now to the end of the window. I think that would be scandalous if Mo Salah decided to leave and leave Liverpool in the lurch.

“Now, if this was a deal which was in the pipeline a month, five, six weeks ago, do you know what? I’d understand it.

“But I think if he did that, he would, I mean, that would be a real slap across the face for Jurgen Klopp, a guy who actually turned Mo Salah into the world-class player, which he is, a guy who has shown great loyalty to Salah, and I get Salah’s shown great loyalty to Liverpool, but I feel Mo Salah owes Jurgen Klopp one as well.

“Mo Salah still has a lot to offer for Liverpool, and Liverpool are a better team with Mo Salah in it, and Liverpool can maybe challenge Manchester City if Mo Salah stays.

“So I think Mo Salah owes it to Liverpool.”

Sutton added: “I think that’s a big thing, he’s on £350,000 pounds a week. That’s a lot of money, that’s an absolute fortune.

“But if he turned his back on Liverpool right now, it wouldn’t leave Jurgen Klopp enough time to get an adequate replacement if there is such a thing to replace Mo Salah.

“And that would be where, you know, he cannot do the dirty on Liverpool. That would be an absolute scandal.

“He cannot do Liverpool dirty, it would be an absolute scandal.”

Steve McManaman thinks Liverpool should allow Salah to leave next summer if the 31-year-old asks to leave the Premier League club.

McManaman told Betfred: “Maybe he does want the move right now, but I have no idea if I’m being completely honest. The timing of this move is so, so wrong, that it’ll never happen in this current window. I don’t believe it’s a case of money because it’s too late in the window and for Liverpool to lose Mo Salah now for £100-£200 million is impossible to consider.

“If it happened in June, then maybe. Next June? Possibly. Probably. However, with days remaining in the window, there’s no chance this move will happen because Jürgen Klopp won’t allow it to happen.

“The move could happen next season because he’s 32 and if the figures being mentioned remain the same, then of course it’s something that both Liverpool and Mo will look at. Of course, if the money’s right it will benefit the player and the club.

“If Mo asks to leave next summer, then I’m sure it’s something that Liverpool will consider. It’s like when Real Madrid allowed Casemiro to leave because the money was so good. When a player has been at your club for such a long time and has been a superstar for you, then you’re not going to deny them a move.”

The article Liverpool star told not to ‘do Reds dirty’ as transfer would be ‘slap across the face’ for Klopp appeared first on Football365.com.