Salah needs backup at Liverpool to get rest and competition. (GETTY Images)
Talking to Astro Sport (h/t Mirror), ex-Liverpool goalkeeper David James said that Mohamed Salah can be sold for the right price to Real Madrid.
James also believes that Liverpool looked more fluid without Salah in their 3-0 win against Leicester and that the Egyptian isn’t ‘indispensable’. He further added that Jurgen Klopp isn’t dependent on Salah and that it would be good business for the Reds to sell him to a non-English club. (h/t Mirror)
While Madrid do already have Rodrygo, Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio who can play down the right, Salah would be an upgrade on them. He is a prolific winger who likes to get into goalscoring positions and play on the shoulder of the last defender.
He can also make mazy runs down the wings and hug the touchline to provide width to his team. The ex-Roma man also has an electric burst of pace and acceleration, using which he can lead counter-attacks all on his own.
Having such a player in a team always keeps the opposition on the back foot as they cannot risk a lot of men forward due to the fear of bearing a counter-attack. The Egyptian does exactly that. Being double, often triple-marked in games, he not only focuses play on him but also makes space for others around him.
There is no one who can replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid but that doesn’t mean they should stop trying to find the next best thing. Ronaldo scored an eye-watering 450 goals for the Los Galacticos in 438 appearances. Replacing those numbers since his move to Juventus in 2018 has proven to be a hard task for Madrid.
Real Madrid’s response to the sale of Ronaldo was signing Eden Hazard for £130m, who has been nothing short of woeful. Having gone a whole year without scoring at Madrid (until he broke the duck against Inter this midweek), Hazard is in stark contrast to Ronaldo, who was Madrid’s go-to man whenever they needed a goal.
On the other hand, Salah has broken goalscoring records left, right, and centre at Liverpool. The Egyptian has netted 104 times for Liverpool in 166 appearances, while also providing 42 assists.
Getting these numbers in England is by no means an easy task. He also has two Premier League golden boots to his name, winning the first one in his debut season where he broke the record for most goals scored in a Premier League season.
Salah’s £200,000-per-week contract at Liverpool runs until 2023 and he is one of the most popular players on the planet, on and off the pitch. Convincing a team to offload their highest-scoring forward who still at the peak of his career is by no means an easy task.
But if we know anything about the Galacticos, it is that they often get their way; and if by any chance they do show interest in Salah, it will be wise decision-making from Zinedine Zidane.