Rodri heaped praise on Mohamed Salah, who helped Liverpool seal a dominant win over Man City, demonstrating he's still a crucial part of Arne Slot's team despite his contract situation
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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
(Image: PA)
Manchester City star Rodri has ranked Mohamed Salah as one of his toughest opponents ever, demonstrating the Liverpool forward’s continued importance to Arne Slot’s project.
Rodri’s absence at the heart of the City midfield was more evident than ever as they visited Liverpool on Sunday. With the Ballon d’Or winner recovering from his ACL injury, the Reds clinched a dominant 2-0 victory over their Premier League rivals, putting them nine points clear at the top of the table.
Salah continued his phenomenal run of form, setting up Cody Gakpo for his 12th minute opener before securing the win with a second-half penalty. The Egyptian talisman – who has notched 13 goals and 11 assists this term – dropped another bombshell regarding his contract at full-time, with the 32-year-old still yet to sign a new deal with Liverpool. As it stands, he is free to join another club in the summer and able to speak to clubs abroad from as soon as January.
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Quizzed by Sky Sports about his future with the club, Salah admitted: "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. 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 come just days after Rodri named Salah as the most 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 Spain international 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."
Rodri ranks Salah as his toughest Premier League opponent
Rodri ranks Salah as his toughest Premier League opponent
While Rodri was referring to the Salah of a few seasons ago, the Egyptian's current performances suggest he's still at the top of his game and showed how he still strikes fear into defenders for Liverpool's title rivals. That further indicates how disastrous it would be for Liverpool if Salah were to leave on a free transfer next summer.
Salah himself stoked fears about his Anfield exit after a brace in Liverpool's 3-2 win over Southampton last month. Making the rare decision to speak to reporters post-match, Salah openly discussed his situation.
"We are almost in December and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club," he 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."
Liverpool have a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League
Salah is yet to agree a new deal with Liverpool and could leave for free at the end of the season
When asked about his disappointment regarding the lack of an offer from Liverpool, he admitted: "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."
Responding to questions about Salah’s comments ahead of Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Real Madrid, Liverpool manager Slot said: "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 joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017, Salah won the Player of the Season award in his debut 2017/18 campaign, claimed three Golden Boots, and has won a Premier League title, alongside numerous other honours with the Anfield club.