Liverpool’s Egyptian star Mohamed Salah has been hailed as the best player in the world by Jurgen Klopp and now former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has weighed on the debate
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Liverpool boss Klopp labels Salah ‘best in the world’
Arsene Wenger has declared Mohamed Salah is currently the “best striker” in the world ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, hailing the Liverpool star’s ability to score inimitable goals.
The Egyptian star has been in sensational form for the Reds this season, earning plaudits from players, coaches and pundits alike.
The 29-year-old has struck 10 goals in all competitions already, with six of those coming in the Premier League, as Jurgen Klopp’s side have gone unbeaten in all competitions in the 2021-22 campaign.
Salah’s form has been key to their impressive run and the forward laid down his claim for the 2021 Ballon d’Or after scoring two incredible solo strikes against Watford and Manchester City.
He played a key role in the first goal in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night in Spain, before sinking a late penalty to seal the points for the Merseyside outfit.
Having been named on the 30-man shortlist for the award, Salah is being tipped as one of the leading candidates to win the award for the first time, having finished fourth in 2019.
And former Arsenal boss Wenger, now FIFA’s head of global football, paid Salah the ultimate compliment by naming him the best forward in the world.
“He’s top, top class and he’s certainly the best striker at the moment in the world because he scores goals that nobody else can score,” he told beIN SPORTS.
“You have to play street football to dribble past people like that in a short space. He’s full of confidence and he’s creative.
“Overall, I believe as well that he is very intelligent because the sign of players that always improve is the intelligence.”
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The issue of Salah’s status in world football has divided some managers and former professionals over the past few weeks.
Klopp pleaded for Salah’s talents to be properly recognised after scoring one and setting up another in the 5-0 win over Watford.
“Top. Come on, we all see it, who’s better than him at this moment?” Klopp said after the game.
“That’s clear, there’s always this discussion and all these kinds of things.
“But we don’t have to talk about what Ronaldo and Messi did for world football or how long they were really in the dominant.
“At the moment I think it’s clear there’s nobody better than him. How it is, it’s not only since yesterday, he’s been in that shape for a while.
“He’s young enough to keep the shape a little bit longer.”
But former Brazil international Kleberson, who endured a brief, ill-fated spell at Man United between 2002 and 2004, doesn’t believe Salah is superior to the likes of Ronaldo, Messi or Neymar.
“Mohamed Salah isn’t the best player in the world, but he’s been consistently brilliant,” the Brazilian told Paddy Power.
“For a long time now, he’s played excellent football. He certainly isn’t a one-season wonder and I can understand why Jurgen Klopp called him the best in Europe.”
However, the Brazilian failed to name who he thought is the best footballer in the world at present, adding that he believes the title should belong to the player who is excelling both at club and international level.
“Beside Salah, Liverpool have a good team that provides great support, and he looks happy there. Things are going well for Salah, but he’s not the best player in the world right now.
“For me, it’s tough to say who is the world’s best player because I measure it by those who play well for club and country.
“Football has changed a lot. For many years, we had Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and sometimes Neymar, but there’s no one who has shown more than they have.”
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