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Liverpool

Premier League • England

Cameroon skipper slates Mo Salah; Liverpool talisman ‘not on Mbappe’s level’

Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar has stated that he is not impressed by Liverpool and Egypt forward Mo Salah, who is ‘not on the same level as Kylian Mbappe’.

Cameroon play Egypt on Thursday evening to determine who will face Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final this coming Sunday. And Aboubakar, who is currently the top scorer in the tournament with six goals, does not appear to rate two-goal Salah very highly.

Aboubakar’s comments come despite the fact that the Reds forward has already notched 16 Premier League goals this season.

Speaking to RFI, the Al Nassr forward said: “He [Salah] is having a great season in the Premier League, he is helping his country to advance in the competition. I wish him a lot of luck. May the best win.

“He doesn’t impress me much. I say it clearly because I’m an honest person and I have my way of seeing things.

“If he impressed me, I would say so. But he doesn’t impress me much.

“He’s a good player, he scores a lot but he doesn’t produce a lot of stuff in the game.

Dybala interest from Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham

Dybala interest from Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham

Dybala is free to leave Juventus this summer for free and Premier League giants Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham want the Argentina forward

“Of course, he’s doing good stuff in the Premier League because he’s been in a team that’s been there for years.

“He’s a good player but not at the level of some like Mbappe.”

Those comments may well come back to haunt Aboubakar when the two sides meet in the AFCON semis.

Muller drops hint over potential next move

Meanwhile, Thomas Muller has revealed that he has not held talks with Bayern Munich about extending his contract in Bavaria.

Muller, 32, is a one-club man and has been with the Bundesliga champions for 22 years after coming through the ranks. The midfielder has 223 goals in 610 appearances for Bayern, but his contract expires in 2023.

Muller has been a reported target for Manchester United and Liverpool in recent years but last month he was on the radar of Newcastle.

SportBild reported that Newcastle’s new owners PIF wanted Muller as their headline-stealing signing of the January window. The German outlet, via the Daily Star, reckon his time at the Allianz Arena is finally set to come to an end.

Thomas Muller celebrating with Alphonso Davies in Bayern Munich's 3-0 win against Barcelona.

But, the classy star stayed put in January and it’s unclear whether Newcastle lodged an official bid for the experienced Germany international.

Making his name as a forward, Muller has since dropped into the midfield and has registered an incredible 18 assists from 20 Bundesliga games this season. He’s also weighed in with six goals.

And despite remaining a key player under Julian Nagelsmann, Muller is now approaching the final year of his contract.

Muller is still integral to Bayern and has started all 20 Bundesliga games this season. Nagelsmann feels Muller can continue playing at the top for “two to four more years”. However, a sizeable summer offer may tempt them to sell.

Muller wants ‘football at the highest level’

And now the player himself has invited the increased interest by revealing the club have not been in talks over a new deal.

Muller told SportBild: “No one from the club has approached me. So you have to see what the future will bring.”

The German champions will also see the contracts of Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski expire in 2023. And they have plenty to ponder.

Honorary Bayern president Uli Hoeness has said he could not “imagine the years 2024 and 2025 without this trio”.

“Of course I share his opinion that we have been playing together successfully as a trio for a long time and that the team is in the definitely shaped the last few years. The rest will show,” added Muller.

“What excites me the most is sporting success and football at the highest level.”

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