Saudi Pro League RULE OUT attempt to tempt Mohamed Salah away from Liverpool in the January window five months on from jaw-dropping £200M last-minute offer

Saudi Pro Leagues are unlikely to make a move for Mohamed Salah during the January window, less than six months after missing out on the Liverpool superstar, the league's director has shared. 

Salah was one of the nascent league's major targets of the window amid speculation that the Egypt international was prepared to leave Anfield after six years on Merseyside. 

Al-Ittihad had been tendered a staggering £200million bid for the 31-year-old but Liverpool were determined to cling on to their player, and formally rejected the bid just ahead of the summer window closing. 

At the time, Jurgen Klopp said he was never in doubt that Salah would stay, adding: 'he is our player and wants to play here.' 

Despite this, reports suggest that the timing of the bid had ruled out the move from Liverpool's side, and that if the Saudi offer had arrived sooner, it might have been considered by both player and club. 

But in an interview with Sky Sports, the league's director of football Michael Emenalo ruled out a second attempt on the heels of the first abortive effort in the upcoming window. 

'Mo Salah, like (Lionel) Messi, (Karim) Benzema, (Cristiano) Ronaldo and the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, these are players that when there is a sense of availability for them, we are willing to listen,' said Emenalo, who previously served as Chelsea's director of football. 

'But we also understand that Mo is happy where he is at present and in a historic, wonderful club at Liverpool. We respect that very much and we don't want to come across as putting any pressure on him.

'But if there is any interest to do something, Mo Salah is a player that you want in your league, in any league.

'We respect Liverpool and in this scenario, the initiative to do anything won't come from us. There has to be an aligned interest from all parties involved.

'It's a very personal thing, as a player that I recruited (for Chelsea) and I like,' he continued. 'There's nothing I'm saying that is new or ground-breaking. 

'If Mo Salah is available, has an interest to come and everything is aligned, I would be incredibly delighted.' 

Al-Ittihad burnished their squad with a number of top-flight transplants in lieu of Salah, including Chelsea's N'Golo Kante, Salah's former team-mate Fabinho, and former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. 

However, despite their heavy recruiting during the summer window, the side crashed out of the Club World Cup on Friday evening following a 3-1 defeat to Al-Ahly at their home ground.