On The Ball | Barca or Real for Mohamed Salah? Actually, Liverpool is still the perfect fit
- There is a vacancy for a galactico goalscorer at the Bernabeu, while a new saviour will be required very soon in Catalonia.
- Egypt’s talisman would certainly earn more elsewhere but life on Merseyside offers the prospect of more medals
There is no false modesty about Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool striker knows just how good he is.
The Egyptian’s pre-Christmas interview with Spanish sports newspaper DiarIo AS caused headlines because Salah refused to rule out a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid. The 28-year-old’s answer was non-committal. No sane footballer would dismiss outright the prospect of playing for one of La Liga’s big two.
What was even more instructive was Salah’s answer when asked whether he regarded himself as one of the best players in the world. “Yeah, absolutely, yeah,” he replied. This is a man with a sense of his own status.
Salah does not speak out very often. Media outlets have queued up for interviews but the striker rarely goes on the record. He is conscious that his words have an impact.
The forward cost £38 million when he was bought from Roma in 2017 and he is under contract for two more years. The deal expires 15 days after his 31st birthday. Liverpool will almost certainly offer him an extension, probably next summer. It is a difficult balancing act for a player whose pace is one of the characteristics of his game to select the correct career strategy. Salah is reaching the age where an athlete’s body begins to show signs of wear and tear.
