Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Mohamed Salah has been slowly building up his reputation to the level that he could be compared with five times Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi. The Egypt international scored the maiden quadruple of his professional career during the 5-0 thumping over Watford last weekend, and this sees him as the leading scorer across Europe’s top-five leagues ahead of Harry Kane and Messi.
Speaking after the game, Klopp said that Salah would not want to be compared with Messi, but he is on course to being named alongside Argentine owing to his consistency this term, he said: “I don't think Mo wants to be compared with Lionel Messi. Messi has been doing what he's been doing for what feels like 20 years or so.The last player I know who had the same influence on a team performance was Diego Maradona.But Mo is in a fantastic way, that's for sure. As it always is in life, if you have to have the skills you have to show that constantly and consistently, and he is very good.”
Salah struggled to make an impact during his initial spell in the Premier League with Chelsea back in 2014, and this saw him secure loan stints with the likes of Fiorentina and AS Roma before sealing a permanent deal with the latter. Salah was brought on to reinforce the Liverpool attack during the last summer transfer window, and he has since taken the role of the talisman from Philippe Coutinho, who was allowed to join Barcelona in January.
With the Watford effort, Salah has 28 goals to his name in the Premier League, and he is now just seven shy of breaking the all-time scoring record for a single season which is shared by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole (34). With 36 goals across all competitions, Salah also has the opportunity of surpassing Ian Rush’s 47-goal feat in a single season for Liverpool, set back in the 1983-84 season.
