Salah reveals secret Liverpool uncertainty after detailing first Klopp talk

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Mohamed Salah has spoken of his initial uncertainty regarding fellow Liverpool forward Sadio Mane after revealing the first question he asked Jurgen Klopp before signing.

The Egyptian forward signed on the dotted line in 2017 for an initial £37m fee.

The Reds had long been admirers of Salah, but having failed to impress during limited time with Chelsea, expectations were tempered despite vast improvement in Serie A.

Any initial scepticism was initially put to bed, however, with Salah making an enormous immediate impact.

44 goals were plundered across all competitions in Salah’s debut season. Yet the 28-year-old has revealed he originally feared he may not be able to displace Mane in the starting eleven.

Liverpool had ended the prior season with Coutinho operating from the left in the front three, with Mane on the right – where Salah was accustomed to playing.

Speaking to beIN Sports (via Goal), Salah said of his early meetings with Klopp: “He talked with me a lot and his future plan which made me very excited.

“My first question for him was ‘What about Sadio?’ as we are playing in the same position and he said that Mane will play on the left.”

Coutinho was shifted to a deeper role in his last six months with the club, allowing Salah, Mane and Firmino to combine in a front three that has led to a haul of trophies since.

 

Meanwhile, a Trabzonspor striker is reportedly kicking himself after rejecting a huge Liverpool transfer.

Kosovo international Donis Avdijaj joined Schalke when he was 14 in 2011 before making his debut for the first-team in 2014.

Following loan spells at Sturm Graz and Roda, Avdijaj left Schalke – having only made 12 appearances in the first-team – to join Willem II on a free transfer in 2018.

He was reportedly watched by Unai Emery’s Arsenal back in January 2019, though a transfer never materialised.

 

Since then, he has moved onto Trabzonspor in Turkey before signing a six-month contract in January 2020 with Scottish side Hearts.

Now, out of contract again, Avdijaj says he regrets not taking up opportunities with Liverpool and Real Madrid earlier in his career.

Avdijaj told Sport1 (via Sport Witness): “My biggest mistake, which I bitterly regret, was that I turned down a mega offer from Liverpool FC. They approached me before I signed the long-term contract with Schalke, which was a matter close to my heart. I also had one [offer] from Real Madrid.”

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