Peter Henry
Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah has exceeded the expectations of the even the most optimistic of Reds fans, with his sensational 28 goal tally this season.
The Egyptian international moved to Anfield from Serie A side Roma for £38 million last summer, and despite playing as a winger and not a striker, he is on course to finish the season as the Premier Leagues top goalscorer.
However, it has now been revealed that Salah was not in fact the first-choice transfer target of his manager Jurgen Klopp.
Speaking to the Totally Football Podcast German journalist Raphael Honigstein has revealed that the former Borussia Dortmund coach instead wanted to sign 21-year-old attacker Julian Brandt from Bayer Leverkusen.
Although in the end Klopp decided to take the advice of Liverpool’s Sporting Director Michael Edwards and signed Salah instead.
“Michael Edwards had been getting a lot of criticism in Liverpool for some of the decisions they’ve made over the last few years,” Honigstein told the Totally Football Show podcast.
“This is one where Klopp has just stepped aside and said, ‘I didn’t really want Salah, but he convinced me to take him.’
“They were going for Julian Brandt, who’s very talented, but it’s inconceivable to think what the season would have looked like if it had been Brandt instead of Salah, because Brandt has been OK but hasn’t turned into one of the best strikers overnight the way that Salah has.” Honigstein said.