11 Dec 2013

Transfer Mystery: Agent of 'perfect' €18m attacker spotted at Anfield. LFC talks...?

Speculation about Liverpool's interest in Basel star Mohamed Salah continues to intensify this wek, and with his agent allegedly spotted at Anfield on Saturday, it looks like the Reds could be ahead of Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United in the racee for the 21-year old attacker.

According to the Daily Mail (for whom Jamie Carragher writes):

"Egyptian star Mohamed Salah's European representative was spotted at Anfield on Saturday.

"Basle are willing to sell the 21-year-old for around £15m [€18m]".


Salah - who is unproven outside the Swiss League - has 18 goals in 75 games for Basel, but is that enough to justify Liverpool spending big money on him in January?

Domestic inexperience notwithstanding, 17 goals in 26 games for the Egypt national team is certainly impressive, and Egypt's American coach Bob Bradley is convinced that Salah is destined for big things. He told reporters in September:

“Salah is the future of Egyptian football. He is a perfect professional player both on and off the pitch, and he will play a great role in guiding us to the World Cup finals.”

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is also a fan, and after Chelsea's defeat to Basel last week, he enthused:

"They [Basel] were very difficult to play against, and he [Salah] is a very good player, and very fast too.”

Tottenham 'keeper Brad Friedel also praised Salah after Spurs' 2-2 Europa League draw with Basel in April. He noted:

"Basel set up to hit us on the counterattack and they did that really effectively. I thought their right-winger Salah posed us a lot of problems. In the second half he did a great job of keeping possession for the team."

When asked, however, about his future recently, Salah indirectly dismissed the possibility of a move to Anfield. He told Sky Sports last week:

"I want to play for one of the best teams in the world. My favourites are Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea."

Salah looks like a good player, but does he have the physical strength to make an impact in the Premier League? It could go one of two ways: he could be like Coutinho, and take the league by storm, or LFC could have another Oussama Assaidi situation on its hands.

I'd prefer it if LFC spent £15m on a more experienced player; someone with a track record who could come into the team and make an immediate impact (in terms of goals and assists) The club already has similarly-aged attacking midfielders at the club (Moses/Sterling/Alberto), and all struggle to consistently score/create goals (though with Alberto, lack of game-time is the main reasons).

Worth a bid? Or is Shaqiri a better option...?



Author:


46 comments:

  1. 15mil way too much

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  2. Not sure never seen him but if you want a proven attacker with a good goals and assist ratio to come in to the first team, you'll need to double the 15 mil. As you won't get one for that price

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  3. We paid as much for Allen and Henderson and even more for Downing ,but i guess those days are far behind or not, that's not to say if he's worth that amount of money .The January transfer period is a tricky one

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  4. It doesn't take much to be the future of Egyptian football (or Egypt for that matter) but on the other hand it's no coincidence that this kid gave Chelsea all kinds of trouble twice in a row either. 15 million though, I'd go for Lallana.

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  5. why would the Saints sell their Captain to us period

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  6. Because we pay a decent fee and he wants to move? Worked for Henderson didn't it?

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  7. i;m sure he does not want to move yet

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  8. Luis Suarez given the deflected goal by the 'dubious goals' panel. putting him on 15 PL goals in 10 games this season........... :-)

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  9. hope this is not true. Menez is free. I heard were linked with Diame!

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  10. anyone remember Mido? He was apparently the next big thing from Egypt but disappeared into thin air.

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  11. Does anyone actually believe Egyptians built the pyramids???, surely it was Irish road-workers!!!

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  12. and where would you be from?

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  13. No matter how you look at it still he's better than allen and hendo.

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  14. He is a fantastic player. Against Chelsea this year and Tottenham last year he was great. I have hoped for this player for two years now after impressing me every game in Europa-cup. £15 mill? Nothing to think about. This would be our Coutinho/Sturridge from last January!

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  15. I hope we get Pastore, Menez, Montoya and Diame.

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  16. Sakho also given his goal officially.... :-)

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  17. You forgot to mention messi ;)

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  18. ya i know january is always tricky with clubs always inflating prices..fingers crossed i hope mr brendan rodgers pulls out another couthinho/sturridge type of a signing.

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  19. Hopefully Sakho now stays in the starting eleven.

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  20. Does anyone think we have a prayer at Spurs ??

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  21. We need him to be a bully.

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  22. Id prefer shaqiri instead, watched some videos of salah.. Dont think hes the one we need, and do we always go for these unproven players? The only player I see right now we badly need is ross barkley, almost a young gerrard.

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  23. I think one look at Mido reveals that he disappeared into fat air.

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  24. Spurs who got beat at home by Newcastle and torn to bits by Man City last month? Yeah, I think we have a prayer. They're hardly the best team in the league.

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  25. Agree. Shaqiri would cost more, but it would be money better spent.

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  26. menez = free. diame - 3.5m clause. pastora - 22m max or loan. montoya- conract ends at summer.
    And who wants messi? disgusting player.

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  27. sign salah and will hughes

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  28. salah could be the new kevin mirrales


    suarez , salah,coutinho,lucas ,hughes ,sterling/allen
    johnson , flanagan/montaya,skrtel,sakho,mignolet

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  29. Cheap but promissing attackers like him and Mitroglu should be our targets. We can make it to cl with what we got regardless of injuries. Than in summer go for the big one,if needed. An excelent midfielder(s) should be priority.

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  30. Egypt has a solid football team.

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  31. I am glad,but i would vote differently..

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  32. I'd love him at Anfield.. Wanted to sign him since he tore the Europa League a new one last year!

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  33. He looks a really good player but I would prefer Shaqiri as I am a huge fan of his and Granit Xhaka would be ideal playing in the centre of the park

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  34. Looks like Jermaine Pennant, plays like Aaron Lennon

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  35. That has not qualified for a world cup since 1990..

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  36. That truly IS dubious :-)

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  37. Salah is brilliant: one of the most talented young attacking players in European football right now. He plays like someone much older and more experienced than he is. He reminds me of a young Figo, or perhaps Del Piero.



    I'd love to see him at LFC; he's got that extra bit of expressiveness and passion that would make him a real fan's favorite, too. I didn't know he was available. Liverpool would be a great match for him, I think: up-and-coming, fresh, and young, but with authority and intensity, just like him. I'd take him over most of the attackers we've been linked with.

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  38. Salah is a very decent player. The games I have seen him play he is a work horse, keeps trying even if things don't quite work for him, he plays as though he wants to influence the game and does not just drift around lazily. He is exactly what we [Liverpool] need out wide a grafter, that can create and score goals, is quick and if requires does not shy away from going past players with the ball. He is at times very direct, seems to like the fast tempo game in which he can act on his instincts. All in all for 15mil Liverpool cant go wrong.

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  39. Yeah, but Mido was a known troublemaker with a weak attitude from those who have known him in Egypt. Salah is a different player, relies more on pace and skill - which he has in abundance. However, I think Liverpool would be a step too far for him, and a huge jump from the Swiss League to a Champions League challenging side. He'd be better of testing his skills at a midtable Premier League side to avoid a baptism of fire.

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  40. From what I've seen of Salah, 15 mil is a great price for him. He absolutely tormented both Spurs and Chelsea. They had no answer for him. And his club knows how good he is, that's why they've valued him at 15 mil. It's like when we wanted Suarez. LFC didn't want to pay more than 18 mil but Ajax refused to budge on their 22 mil valuation because they knew what we were getting in Luis. Looking at him now, that price seems like a bargain

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  41. I still don't understand why Rodgers refused to give Assaidi any game time last year - they guy just needs to hit the weights and get some confidence to force his way into games, as he clearly has the technical ability required

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