OPINION
Mohamed Salah has been a revelation since arriving at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp – with the Egyptian quickly turning into a cult hero at Liverpool.
Since arriving in 2017, the 27-year-old has gone from strength to strength for the Reds, forming a great partnership with attacking duo Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
One of the main problems that has faced Klopp in the past couple of years is finding suitable replacements for his prolific trio should they become injured. This season Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri have stepped up to the mark and both played pivotal roles in Liverpool’s run to Champions League glory.
Having said that, the German boss is still keen to strengthen his attacking depth for the upcoming Premier League campaign. Liverpool were reported by Le 10 Sport to have placed a bid for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, with Klopp reportedly a huge admirer of the Ivorian.
The French publication also claims that the former Borussia Dortmund boss would be willing to sell his marquee player in Mohamed Salah to make room for Pepe, and this can not be allowed to happen.
Salah has won the Premier League Golden Boot award two years running at Anfield and has quickly become their standout performer in their quest for silverware in England.
Klopp has adapted a quick attacking style of football which has become nearly impossible to stop since he arrived at the club. Salah is instrumental to almost every attacking move and averages almost two key passes a game (1.8) and attempts the most dribbles directly at opposition defences (2.1) [Source: WhoScored].
24-year-old Pepe has also become a key part of Lille’s squad this season, attempting on average 2.7 dribbles per-game [Source: WhoScored]. The difference between the two is that Salah has been doing this against the highest calibre of opponent, being an incredible influence on the way to Champions League glory and the verge of Premier League success.
Although Pepe would be a great signing for the Reds, Klopp must tread carefully in regards to what type of player he wishes to bring to the club. The 24-year-old would no doubt demand first-team football, and selling your most influential player to accommodate that is certainly the wrong decision.
