Liverpool remain off until Saturday April 3, when they’ll resume their Premier League campaign with a fixture at Arsenal. The Reds, an injury ravaged squad this season, have to really be enjoying the extended time off right now.
In the meantime, we’ve got some transfer talk to do, so let’s just dive right in with the latest on the Egyptian magician on the pitch, Mohamed Salah. He was interviewed by Spanish outlet Marca, ahead of next week’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid.
Liverpool’s all-time leading UCL scorer was asked if he’d like to try out life in La Liga after having had stints in the Premier League and Serie A. Salah responded with the industry standard “you never know what might happen someday” routine, while making sure to add in the requisite “it’s out of my hands, I just work here” trope.
In his defense, what else is he supposed to say, but the commonplace answers? His contract at Anfield doesn’t expire until June 2023 anyway.
“I hope I can play football for many, many years,” was the exact response Salah gave when asked about playing in the Spanish top flight.
“Why not? You never know what’s going to happen in the future, so maybe one day, yes.”
Salah, who has been linked with move away quite a bit this season, was also asked if his time at the Merseyside club was was coming to an end or not. He answered: “It’s not up to me. Let’s see what will happen, but I prefer not to talk about it now.”
If Salah were to move to Real Madrid, obviously there would have to be some kind of reconciliation and mutual respect and understanding with Los Blancos Captain Sergio Ramos, who dislocated his shoulder in the 2018 Champions League final. For more on that, see the second photo, or go here.
If Salah does depart soon, and that is of course a lot “if, then” propositions at work here, who would replace him in Liverpool’s final third?
Potentially RB Leipzig’s captain, Marcel Sabitzer, according to Bild. There would be major competition for his services, naturally, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, among others, also keen. The 27-year-old Austrian international is said to be valued at about €40 million.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.