Jurgen Klopp stated his belief that Mo Salah ‘still has a lot to give’ in his footballing career in response to a question fielded about the Egyptian’s longevity in the game.
Talking with reporters prior to the Reds’ upcoming visit to Old Trafford on Sunday (as noted in the tweet below), the German praised the No.11’s professionalism and commitment to training.
🗣️"Mo is incredibly professional. He's the first in and very often the last out [in training]."
Klopp discussing the longevity of Mo's career 🕖 pic.twitter.com/zEvwCVROZC
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) October 22, 2021
Comparisons with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have been particularly forthcoming since the forward registered two world-class goals against Manchester City and Watford.
The 29-year-old himself seems to very much hold the belief that he has yet to reach the apex of his career and it would seem that his current boss very much feels the same way.
As such, we simply can’t see past one eventuality where Salah extends upon his current terms in Merseyside.
Klopp’s comments certainly only add weight to the idea that the Egyptian international could extend his best footballing days well into his 30s.
We can all agree, in this moment, that the former Roma frontman is the best footballer in the world right now.
The likelihood is that he’ll continue to be there or thereabouts for at least the next three or four years, potentially longer in light of his remarkable conditioning levels.
Therefore, the argument is as ever one of a financial nature – can we justify the financial burden involved in keeping one of our best talents at the club for the long-term?
The obvious answer, as far as we at the Empire of the Kop are concerned, is, of course, yes!
If we’re prepared to offer the likes of Virgil van Dijk a new four-year deal, why shouldn’t we prioritise an attacker that’s close to (if not exactly) being as critical to our future successes?
The demands of their positions are different of course, with the likes of Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci (34) and Giorgio Chiellini (37) and Chelsea’ Thiago Silva (37) proving that centre-halves can extend their careers well beyond the early 30s mark.
However, if we’re going to keep comparing Salah to the likes of Messi (34) and Ronaldo (36), the club has to then accept that it is more than possible for our Egyptian King to enjoy a productive career in the Premier League well beyond the age of 31.
The former Chelsea star doesn’t drink, looks after himself extremely well and he is, according to Klopp, generally the first one to arrive and the last to leave training; every sign points to it being a good idea to guarantee the player’s future at Anfield for the long-term.
As he continues to thump in the goals and assists on a regular basis this season, you can practically hear the odds on the Egyptian failing to extend his career beyond 2023 tumbling down in bookies across the globe.
The Liverpool boss admitted his star frontman will need ‘luck’ to mirror the likes of Ronaldo and Messi with regard to the longevity of his career but it seems, at the moment, that our owners wouldn’t be taking a gamble of epic proportions by betting on his future.