Liverpool signed Mohamed Salah from AS Roma back in the summer of 2017 and since then, the journey has been so good it’s probably exceeded expectations for both player and club.
Whenever he does leave, the Egyptian will depart Anfield and the Premier League as a club legend, as he stakes his claim to a Golden Boot this season.
Walter Sabatini, the man who brought Salah to Roma from Chelsea and played a key role in his development before the sale to Liverpool, has now spoken about the forward.
In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian revealed that he was quick to notice Salah’s values and morals the first time he met him and attempted to bring him to Roma.
He said: “I went to London three to four times, I met him after 7pm for Ramadan, when he could drink. And I found myself in front of a real man, full of values, ready to sacrifice.”
Sabatini also revealed details about his relationship with Alisson, who was also signed by him in Rome before he joined Liverpool some years later.
He said: “Alisson is still angry with me, he never understood.
“At the beginning I protected him, he had to improve in positioning and reading the games. And then we have always burned all the Brazilian goalkeepers here. I preferred Szczesny for this and he didn’t accept it.”
It is clear that the 70-year-old has played some sort of a role in Liverpool’s recent history because of how he helped Salah and Alisson develop into top-class players.
Beyond the two, Sabatini also played vital roles in the careers of Radja Nainggolan, Miralem Pjanic and current Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos.
That is a reason why he is known as one of the best sporting directors in Italy.