There is technically still time for Mohamed Salah to leave Liverpool this week and some new quotes from one of his teammates could be telling.
How many goals does Salah have for Liverpool?
The 31-year-old is one of the greatest players in the history of Liverpool Football Club, having achieved so much since joining in 2017, becoming a genuine footballing superstar.
On Sunday afternoon, Salah again played his part in a Reds victory, as he scored his side's third goal in their 3-0 win at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League. That strike took his total for the club to 188 goals in 309 appearances, with four goal contributions (two goal and assists apiece) in as many matches already coming his way in the league this season.
The Egyptian's influence cannot be rivalled at Anfield currently, in terms of the relentless end product he produces, and the hope is that he remains there beyond his current contract expiry date of 2025. Worryingly, he is the subject of huge interest from Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, however, with a £100m+ bid already turned down by Liverpool.
There is a fear that an even bigger offer will be tabled this week, with the Saudi transfer window not yet closing, but a new update suggests that it won't matter if another bid comes in.
What has Salah's teammate said?
Speaking after the win against Villa [via This Is Anfield], Dominik Szoboszlai handed Liverpool fans a significant boost by claiming that Salah definitely wants to stay out at the club:
"It is football, everyone is talking. We are really happy that he has stayed. We are of course speaking between each other but he wants to stay, he wants to be here and be with us. We are really happy. We need people in the team like him."
This is fantastic to hear, assuming Szoboszlai is telling the truth – frankly there is no reason why he wouldn't be, having already grown close with Salah since arriving from RB Leipzig this summer.
It seems very clear that Liverpool aren't even going to entertain the idea of allowing the Reds legend to leave the club at this point, especially as they now have no time to sign a replacement. It would weaken their attack so much, despite the other elite players at Jurgen Klopp's disposal, and there are few players in the world who can score an assist at Salah's rate.
Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…
If Klopp's men are to have any chance of challenging for the Premier League title this season, the need to have their Egyptian King at the club, fit and firing throughout the campaign and dragging his side through matches. The idea of him leaving this week is a horrendous one, and the hope is that he spends at least one more season on Merseyside.
It is certainly easy to envisage Salah moving to Saudi Arabia next summer, when there will again no doubt be a lot of interest in him, but he still has so much to offer at the very highest level that he really shouldn't consider moving there for several years to come.