Man City star Rodri compared Mo Salah to a "knife" when praising the Liverpool talisman
Man City star Rodri compared Mo Salah to a "knife" when praising the Liverpool talisman
Rodri ranks Mohamed Salah as one of his most difficult opponents ever, showing how important the Liverpool talisman still is to Arne Slot’s project.
As has been the case for much of the season, Rodri’s absence during Manchester City’s visit to Liverpool on Sunday came as a huge hinderance to Pep Guardiola’s men. While the Ballon d’Or-winning Spaniard continued his recovery from an ACL injury, the Reds secured a statement 2-0 win over their Premier League rivals to go nine points clear at the top of the table.
Salah carried on his devastating form, assisting Cody Gakpo in the 12th minute before converting his second-half penalty. The Egyptian forward – who has 13 goals and 11 assists already this season – dropped another bombshell regarding his contract at full-time, with the 32-year-old still yet to sign a new deal with Liverpool and, as it stands, free to join another club in the summer.
Asked about his contract situation after beating City, Salah told Sky Sports: "Honestly, it's in my head. Until now this is the last City game I will play for, so I was just going to enjoy it.
[
Mo Salah bites back at Jamie Carragher after Liverpool legend's 'selfish' accusation](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mo-salah-jamie-carragher-liverpool-34226244)
"The atmosphere was incredible so I will enjoy every second here. Hopefully, we just win the league and will see what will happen."
His comments came just days after Rodri singled Salah out as the most terrifying and dangerous player he has come up against in England, highlighting "I haven’t seen any player play that way" – a message Liverpool's board perhaps should take note of with the contract saga dragging on.
The midfielder said on The Rest is Football podcast: “That prime Salah. I haven’t seen any player play that way – he was like a knife. Not that skilful like Neymar or Vinicius Jnr or these kinds of players, but a knife in terms of goal-scoring, assisting etc.”
While Rodri referred to the Salah of four or five years ago, his form this season demonstrates he is still very much operating close to his peak level. That further indicates how disastrous it would be for him to join another club for free next summer, while he can freely speak to clubs abroad as soon as next month.
Salah sparked concern over his contract expiry last month after scoring twice in Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Southampton. The Egyptian made the rare decision to speak to reporters post-match and directly addressed his future, revealing that he is more likely to leave than to stay.
"We are almost in December and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club," Salah said. "I'm probably more out than in. You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this.
"But in the end it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December and I haven't received anything yet about my future. I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans' hands. Let's wait and see."
Salah is yet to agree a new deal with Liverpool and could leave for free at the end of the season
On whether he felt disappointed that Liverpool hadn't made him an offer at this stage, the 32-year-old replied: "Of course, yeah. I'm not going to retire soon so I'm just playing, focusing on the season and I'm trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I'm disappointed but we will see. I'm very professional. Everybody can see my work ethic.
"I'm just trying to enjoy my football and I will play at the top level as long as possible. I'm just doing my best because this is who I am and I try to give it all for myself and for the club. We will see what happens next."
Liverpool manager Arne Slot responded by saying ahead of Wednesday's 2-0 win against Real Madrid in midweek: "The only thing I can say is, when I look at my line-ups, Mo is more in than out. That quote I can give you."
Since signing for Liverpool from Roma in 2017, Salah has won the Player of the Season award in 2017/18, three Golden Boots and a Premier League title, among a host of other accolades with the Reds.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.