Liverpool Faces Alisson Threat as Saudi Clubs Pursue Goalkeeper

Liverpool thought they had slammed the door shut on Alisson Becker’s suitors this summer. Juventus came calling, Luciano Spalletti pushed for a reunion with the Brazilian he trusted at Roma in 2016/17, and the answer from Anfield was firm: no.

Sporting director Richard Hughes even went a step further. He triggered a one-year option in Alisson’s contract, extending the goalkeeper’s deal to 2027 and underlining his status as a pillar of the post-Jürgen Klopp era. The expectation around the club was simple: their No 1 would stay, settle, and see out his prime years on Merseyside.

That certainty is starting to crack.

Saudi move gathers pace

In Saudi Arabia, the noise is getting louder. Journalist Mohamed Bukairy claims Al-Ittihad are closing in on a deal to prise Alisson away from Liverpool and into 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 a move that would send shockwaves through Anfield.

Bukairy reports that Al-Ittihad, dubbed the “Dean of Saudi Clubs”, have tabled what he calls a “tempting” proposal, worth more than €11 million per year. The figure would represent a raise on Alisson’s current Liverpool wage, believed to be around £150,000 per week, nudging him towards roughly £179,000 per week in gross terms.

Add in Saudi Arabia’s favourable tax regime and the financial logic becomes obvious. For a 33-year-old goalkeeper, already laden with trophies and individual accolades, this is the kind of offer that tests loyalty, comfort, and ambition all at once.

And it is not just one club knocking.

According to the same report, newly promoted Al-Diriyah are also in the hunt, hoping to “snag Alisson's gloves” as they step into the Professional League. The idea of a straight fight between an established Saudi giant and an ambitious newcomer only cranks up the tension.

Liverpool’s dilemma

For all the noise, one obstacle remains immovable: Liverpool’s consent.

Even if Al-Ittihad or Al-Diriyah reach agreement with Alisson’s camp, any transfer still runs through Anfield. Right now, there is little to suggest Liverpool would welcome the conversation, never mind the bid.

The club have already watched experience drain out of the dressing room this summer. Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konaté have all departed, stripping away leadership, continuity and the kind of big-game know-how that cannot be replaced overnight. Losing Alisson on top of that would not just be another transfer. It would be a structural blow.

On the pitch, there is another complication. Alisson has missed a growing number of games through injury, forcing Liverpool to lean heavily on Giorgi Mamardashvili last season. The Georgian handled the responsibility admirably, but there is a world of difference between having a reliable deputy and deciding you can live without one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

Do Liverpool cash in on a 33-year-old with a lucrative offer on the table and a capable understudy already blooded? Or do they hold their ground, accept the risk of future injuries, and keep one of their few remaining standard-bearers?

For now, the answer lies with the club hierarchy. The Saudi money is real, the interest is serious, and the contract clock is ticking.

Liverpool fought off Juventus. The question now is whether they can, or will, do the same when the lure comes from the Gulf.