LONDON — Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool FC after writing one of the greatest chapters in the club’s history, turning a journey that began in the Egyptian village of Nagrig into a legendary career at Anfield, according to British newspaper The Telegraph.
In a lengthy report published on Sunday, the newspaper said Salah had dreamed of playing for Liverpool FC long before his move to Anfield.
It added that Salah told former teammate Micah Richards during his spell at ACF Fiorentina that he would one day return to the EPL with Liverpool after his first experience with Chelsea FC failed.
The report noted that Liverpool was very close to signing Salah in January 2014 when he was playing for FC Basel after the club’s scouts closely monitored him and were impressed by his performances, particularly against Chelsea in the 2013 UEFA Europa League semi-finals.
The newspaper added that Liverpool officials travelled to Switzerland to finalise the deal for £12 million before Chelsea hijacked the transfer at the last minute, a move that reportedly angered Liverpool’s management at the time.
The Telegraph quoted former Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre as saying all parties inside the club were convinced of Salah’s abilities, adding that Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho played a key role in diverting the player to Chelsea instead of Liverpool.
Despite a difficult spell in London, Liverpool continued tracking Salah during his time with Fiorentina and later AS Roma before finally signing him in the summer of 2017 for £36.9 million, then a club-record fee.
The report said Salah joined Liverpool determined to prove himself, quickly demonstrating his exceptional speed, physical strength and technical abilities, as well as his strict commitment to training and recovery programs.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said Salah was obsessed with continuous improvement, noting that he would go swimming immediately after night matches to accelerate recovery and maintain peak fitness throughout the season.
The newspaper highlighted that Salah developed over nine years into one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players after scoring 257 goals and helping the club win two Premier League titles, in addition to the UEFA Champions League and several major trophies.
The report also reviewed some of Salah’s most memorable moments with Liverpool, including winning the FIFA Puskas Award in 2018, lifting the UEFA Champions League in 2019, becoming the first opposition player to score a hat-trick at Old Trafford in the Premier League, and reaching 250 goals for the club.
The Telegraph concluded that Salah was not merely a historic goalscorer, but a player who defined an entire era in Liverpool’s history, cementing his place among the club’s greatest legends of all time.
