Manager Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, sees no reason why Mohamed Salah wants to leave the Premier League champions, but says he will not keep the striker at the club against his will, after rumors have surfaced that the Egyptian wants to leave Liverpool.
“I think the only reason to leave Liverpool right now is the weather. What other reason could there be?” Klopp told a news conference.
“This is one of the biggest clubs in the world, we pay good money, we have a great stadium with an exceptional crowd.
“You can’t force people to stay, that’s all. We make changes and bring in players, and if a player wants to leave, then we can’t, we probably won’t keep him; he just wouldn’t understand why anyone would want to leave.”
Salah remained on the bench for last weekend’s 7-0 victory at Crystal Palace, but scored two goals when he came to help the leaders maintain their excellent form.
He became Liverpool’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League earlier this month in a 1-1 draw at Denmark’s Midtjylland.
Klopp said Salah’s comments about the Spanish teams are not an indication of his desire to leave Liverpool.
If you ask a player in the world who doesn’t play for Barcelona or Real Madrid if he imagines that he will play there one day and he answers: “No, Spanish football is not for me”, why would he say that?
“Mo is a very important player for me, obviously, but this story is not.”
Liverpool is at the top of the table with 31 points from 14 games, with four units ahead of second-placed Leicester City. On Sunday, they will face West Bromwich Albion, the penultimate place.