Former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp (left) and player Mohamed Salah. Picture: EPA, PAOLO MAGNI
LIVERPOOL forward Mohamed Salah has suggested he will stay at the Premier League club following the departure of manager Jurgen Klopp, the Egypt international said late on Monday.
With Klopp’s exit after nearly nine years at the helm and Feyenoord coach Arne Slot officially confirmed as his successor, uncertainties regarding Salah’s future at Liverpool had grown, with his contract expiring in June next year.
The 31-year-old has been linked with a move to the Saudi Arabian league during the close season. Liverpool’s top scorer this season appeared somewhat out of form, especially towards the end of the campaign when their title charge faltered.
Late on Monday, after Slot was announced as Liverpool’s new coach, Salah set forth his side’s ambitions for the next season and sent out a parting message for Klopp.
“We know that trophies are what count and we will do everything possible to make that happen next season,” Salah wrote in a post on social media. “Our fans deserve it and we will fight like hell.”
“It was great sharing all those trophies and experiences with you over the past 7 years,” Salah captioned a picture of himself with the former Liverpool manager. “I wish you the best of luck for the future and hope we meet again.”
Mohamed Salah tribute to Jurgen Klopp 🥹❤️😭
— 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕰𝖌𝖞𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖆𝖓 𝕶𝖎𝖓𝖌 👑 (@mizukiLFC) May 18, 2024
"I think we're going to stay in contact forever" #MoSalah #Klopp pic.twitter.com/qcIjkvb1bK
Slot has been in charge of the Dutch team since 2021, and won the Eredivisie league title in 2022/23 along with the KNVB Cup this season, while Feyenoord also reached the Europa Conference League final in his first season at the club.
“It’s certainly not an easy decision to close the door behind you at a club where you’ve had so many great moments and worked successfully with so many great people,” Slot said in a statement on Feyenoord’s website.
“But an opportunity to become a head coach in the Premier League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, is hard to ignore as a sportsman.”
Klopp announced in January that he would leave Liverpool at the end of this season and, after much speculation, Slot confirmed on Friday that he would become Liverpool manager.
officially🚨
— ⁷ɹ¹ (@E7p7an) May 19, 2024
The end of the journey between Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp, a journey that lasted 7 seasons🔴
Games 250 📺
Goals 155⚽
Assists 68✅ pic.twitter.com/eTnviYyrE3
Slot was linked with the Tottenham Hotspur job at the end of last season before signing a contract extension at Feyenoord, and his aggressive attacking style attracted Liverpool to entice the Dutchman to the Premier League.
Liverpool ended the season third in the Premier League, nine points off champions Manchester City, while Feyenoord finished runners-up to PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie. Slot was given a rousing send-off by the Feyenoord fans after their final league game of the season on Sunday, a 4-0 home win over Excelsior, as the 45-year-old’s three-year spell at the club came to an end.
“I really enjoyed my three years at Feyenoord and felt very much at home from day one, both within the club and with the supporters,” Slot said.
“When I started in Rotterdam in the summer of 2021, I was convinced that it was possible to achieve success at this wonderful club.
“The fact that we have reached a European final in three years and have won several prizes makes me more than proud.”
Slot’s success and entertaining brand of football have previously attracted interest from English clubs, including Crystal Palace and Leeds United, before Spurs tried to persuade him to join them at the end of last season.
Reuters
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