Liverpool closing on Salah deal – but Roma are holding out for more
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Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are closing in on their first major signing of the summer – if they can agree a fee with Roma.
The Reds are believed to have agreed personal terms with Mohamed Salah, but their £28m offer has been rejected by the Serie A side.
Roma appear to be holding out for nearer £35m.
Either way, the capital outfit will be making a substantial profit having only permanently signed the forward from Chelsea for £13m last summer.
The Egyptian shone for Roma last season, bagging 15 Serie A goals and 13 assists from just 31 appearances.
It wasn’t a one-season fluke either, with Salah producing 14 goals and eight assists for the Romans while on-loan in 2015-16.
The 24-year-old began his career with his native El Mokawloon, before moving to Switzerland side FC Basel in 2012.
Two seasons impressing in the Swiss Super League was enough to convince then-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to splash out £14m in January 2014.
Salah settled in reasonably well in those last few months of 2013-14, netting twice from 10 Premier League appearances.
But he made just three appearances in the following campaign, before moving on loan to Fiorentina.
The move kick-started his career, as Salah netted three times in his opening four games for La Violas.
And he’s been a constant problem for Serie A defenders ever since.
It’s certainly not hard to picture Salah slotting in to life on Merseyside alongside Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino.
With Champions League back at Anfield too, Klopp will need strength in depth.
All told, this looks like an excellent deal for Liverpool – once they can agree a fee that is.
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