Jurgen Klopp has hailed the development of Mohamed Salah into a “goalscoring machine” and named the Egyptian as the best transfer of his managerial career.
The Liverpool boss has made a number of shrewd acquisitions during his time in the dugout, including a number of big names at former club Borussia Dortmund.
Salah (initial £36.5m), Sadio Mane (£34m) and Andy Robertson (£8m) rank among some of his best pound-for-pound buys at Anfield, while it’s hard to look past the signing of Robert Lewandowski, who he bought for Dortmund for just £4.5million in 2010.
Since then the Polish international has gone on to become one of the leading strikers in the game, even winning last year’s FIFA Best award.
But Klopp is in no two minds about who his greatest signing has been as he pitted Salah “absolute top” ahead of Lewandowski when asked, before explaining his choices.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“You can sign a player but then we are all responsible, the player obviously and the coaches, to make it happen,” he said at a press conference on Friday.
“Let me say it like this, [there are] two players.
“There is one, that’s Robert Lewandowski, who I signed – OK, for a different amount of money – who made an incredible development.
“From a different level, but incredible development.
“With Mo, from the guy who scores from time to time and is a really good football player, to this goalscoring machine, that’s a massive development.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“So yes, he is an outstanding signing, but for sure the way he developed, the way he treats himself, the game preparation, training preparation, training attitude, all these kinds of things, that’s exceptional.
“That’s a real role model. He deserves all that, absolutely.”
Despite Liverpool’s disappointing season, Salah has still managed to amass an impressive goals tally of 30 this season so far – 21 of which have come in the Premier League.
Meanwhile over in Germany, Bayern Munich star Lewandowski has racked up 46 in all competitions, including 39 in the Bundesliga, with both players clearly at the top of their game.
