Liverpool Faces Alisson Threat as Saudi Giants Pursue Goalkeeper

Liverpool thought they had slammed the door on Alisson Becker’s suitors this summer. Juventus knocked, Luciano Spalletti wanted his old Roma goalkeeper back, and the club’s new sporting director Richard Hughes responded by quietly triggering a one-year option to extend the Brazilian’s deal to 2027.

That was supposed to be that.

Alisson, now 33, had been linked with a romantic return to Italy, but no agreement materialised. Inside Anfield, the expectation settled: the Brazil No 1 would stay, ride out his contract and continue as the cornerstone of Liverpool’s new era.

Now Saudi Arabia has barged its way into the conversation.

Al-Ittihad step up pursuit

A leading Saudi journalist, Mohamed Bukairy, claims Al-Ittihad are closing in on a move for Alisson, with the Pro League club pushing hard to land one of world football’s elite goalkeepers.

“Al-Ittihad Club's management is close to signing Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, the guardian of Liverpool's den and the Samba national team,” Bukairy wrote on X, citing “reliable sources” inside the club.

Those same sources, he says, believe Al-Ittihad – known as the Dean of Saudi Clubs – have tabled a “tempting” offer worth more than €11 million per year. The report also suggests Al-Ittihad are not alone, with newly promoted Al-Diriyah eager to “snag Alisson’s gloves” and muscle in on the deal.

If the numbers are accurate, the money is serious.

Why the offer bites

Alisson is understood to earn around £150,000 per week at Liverpool. The Saudi proposal, translated, edges that up to roughly £179,000 per week in gross terms. On paper, that’s only a modest increase.

The real lure lies elsewhere.

Saudi tax regulations mean that take-home pay can look dramatically different compared to a Premier League wage slip. For a 33-year-old goalkeeper, already decorated and established, a move of this scale becomes less about a marginal bump and more about long-term security and lifestyle.

It is exactly this combination – status, salary, and a less intense spotlight – that has already drawn a string of high-profile names to the Saudi Pro League.

Liverpool’s dilemma

Liverpool’s stance remains the key obstacle.

Even if Al-Ittihad or Al-Diriyah reach an agreement with Alisson’s camp, any transfer would still require Liverpool’s approval. Given the context of their summer, that is no small hurdle.

The club have already waved goodbye to major figures in the dressing room. Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konaté have all departed, stripping away layers of experience and leadership from a squad still adjusting to a new managerial cycle and a reshaped hierarchy behind the scenes.

Losing Alisson on top of that would not just be another transfer. It would rip out one of the remaining pillars of the team’s spine.

Giorgi Mamardashvili saw plenty of action last season covering for Alisson, whose injury absences have become a nagging concern. The Georgian has shown he can step in; what he has not yet shown is that he can anchor a title-chasing side over 50-plus games in all competitions. That is the calculation Liverpool must make if they even entertain a Saudi bid.

Do they cash in on a 33-year-old goalkeeper amid unprecedented financial pressure from abroad? Or do they draw a line, protect what’s left of their core, and risk turning down the kind of offer that rarely comes twice?