Football News

Jurgen Klopp urged to sever ties with ace using Liverpool as stepping stone

Jurgen Klopp has been told it “makes sense” for Liverpool to sell a current superstar to help fund a revolution within his squad.

The Reds surprised many when their bid to retain the title took a dramatic dive around Christmas last year. Liverpool lost six straight at Anfield to end their championship aspirations, and but for a late season surge, Champions League qualification would not have been achieved.

Injury issues at centre half played a major role, but a lack of cutting edge from their forwards also hurt.

Mohamed Salah’s customary clinical finishing deserted him despite still bagging 22 goals through sheer weight of chances.

At 29, Salah’s days as an elite forward are numbered, though that has not stopped rumblings of interest from Real Madrid amid talk of a fractured bond with Klopp.

Understandably, Liverpool are reluctant to part ways with their most reliable producer of goals. Indeed, trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano insisted talks over a new contract are already underway.

Nevertheless, Eurosport’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, has declared selling Salah would be of great benefit to Liverpool.

Jones said on the Football Terrace Podcast (via the Mirror): “It makes sense for them to cash in on Mo Salah.

“Just as he is passing his peak and re-investing that money in someone you can get five, six or seven years of.

“Mo Salah is just extremely ambitious and while he has loved being at Liverpool he doesn’t see this as being the end of his journey.

“That’s why he has started to give interviews in the last 12 months hinting at the next step for him. It’s not out of disrespect, it’s purely led by the fact that he wants to be recognised as being in the bracket of top tier players.

“He’s got to figure out at what club he would get that at. I think ideally he saw that at somewhere like Barcelona or Real Madrid. But it is unclear whether those avenues will open up because of the financial situations at both of those clubs.”

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Gerrard responds to Everton managerial links

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard has ruled out the prospect of ever managing Everton but admits he was not particularly surprised that Rafael Benitez has crossed the Merseyside divide.

“Rafa wasn’t born in the city, he’s not a red through-and-through and he never played against Everton for 20 years and competed against them. So I think it’s a very different situation [to mine],” Gerrard told ESPN.

“Rafa is his own man and will make his own professional decisions. So there’s no surprise that he wanted to get back in the Premier League at a big club and have the opportunity to compete against all the top teams in the league. So I wasn’t very shocked and surprised at all in all honesty.

“I was very shocked and surprised that my name was linked to the job. I don’t know where it came from, whether it was paper talk or if there was any truth in it, I’m not sure.

“[Managing Everton] is never a possibility as far as I’m concerned.”

READ MORE: Liverpool set to beat Man Utd, Chelsea, three other rivals to winger signing

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