Liverpool Faces Alisson Challenge as Saudi Clubs Pursue Goalkeeper

Liverpool thought they had won this fight once already this summer. They may have to lace up the gloves again.

Alisson Becker, the bedrock of the club’s modern era, is once more at the centre of serious interest – this time from Saudi Arabia, where Al-Ittihad are pushing hard to prise him away from Anfield.

From Juventus warning shot to Saudi escalation

The first warning came from Europe. Earlier in the window, Juventus and coach Luciano Spalletti sounded out the possibility of reuniting with Alisson, whom Spalletti coached at Roma in 2016/17. The admiration has never gone away.

Liverpool’s response was firm. Sporting director Richard Hughes moved quickly to trigger a one-year option in Alisson’s contract, extending his deal to 2027 and shutting the door on Turin. The expectation since then has been simple: the Brazil No 1, now 33, would stay put and see out his contract on Merseyside.

That assumption is now under real strain.

Al-Ittihad’s “tempting” offer

In Saudi Arabia, prominent journalist Mohamed Bukairy claims Al-Ittihad are closing in on a deal to sign Alisson for the Saudi Pro League.

“Al-Ittihad Club's management is close to signing Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, the guardian of Liverpool's den and the Samba national team,” he wrote on X, describing an offer that he says exceeds €11 million per year.

Local reporting suggests Al-Ittihad are not alone. Newly promoted Al-Diriyah, fresh into the Saudi Professional League, are also said to be in the race, with Bukairy noting concern among Al-Ittihad fans about their “brother club” attempting to “snag Alisson's gloves.”

The numbers explain why Saudi clubs believe they have a shot. Alisson is understood to earn around £150,000 per week at Liverpool. The Saudi proposal, at roughly £179,000 per week in gross terms, represents a rise – and when combined with favourable tax conditions in the kingdom, the package becomes even more persuasive for a player in the latter stages of his peak years.

Liverpool’s dilemma: money vs leadership

For Liverpool, this is not just about wages or transfer fees. It is about leadership, continuity and the spine of a dressing room that has already been stripped of experience.

Alisson has missed chunks of recent seasons through injury, forcing Giorgi Mamardashvili into extended action last term. Those absences have underlined how demanding the role is and how vulnerable Liverpool become without their No 1.

But even an elite deputy does not replace what Alisson represents. He is one of the loudest voices in the dressing room, a standard-setter on the training pitch and a calm presence behind a back line that has already lost key figures.

This summer has seen Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konaté depart, removing a significant layer of know-how and personality from the squad. To sanction Alisson’s exit on top of that would mean tearing out another pillar of the team’s core.

Anfield holds the final word

Even if Al-Ittihad – or Al-Diriyah – reach agreement on personal terms with Alisson, they still face the biggest obstacle of all: Liverpool’s consent.

There is no indication yet that the club are inclined to help complete a move, especially after going to the trouble of extending his contract to 2027. From the boardroom’s perspective, losing another senior figure at this stage of the rebuild would be a step too far.

Saudi money can turn heads. But will it be enough to move a club that knows exactly how hard it is to replace a world-class goalkeeper in his prime?

Liverpool must now decide how much more upheaval this squad can take in a single summer.