Former Premier League and Watford striker Troy Deeney stated that he believes Mohamed Salah is excellent but is not world-class.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Deeney said: “I think Mohamed Salah is excellent. He’s a pivotal part of Liverpool, and they should never have let it [his expiring contract] reach this point. But I understand there’s a financial structure they want to stick to. My argument has always been that I just don’t think he’s world-class.”
Deeney elaborated, “World-class is subjective. For me, world-class is asking whether I’d want my kids to play like that player. If I were advising my kids who want to be forwards, I’d tell them to play like Vinícius Jr over Mohamed Salah.”
He added, “Salah scores an unbelievable number of goals and is highly effective, but that’s just my opinion. He’d probably turn around and say, ‘Who the f*** is Troy?’ and fair play to him, but that’s how I see it.”
He concluded by saying, “He’s massive in the Middle East and a huge global draw. But in the Premier League, we view him differently. Think about how often he gets hammered for posting a picture on Christmas day—that pressure is constant. At this stage of his career, I don’t think he’s motivated by money, though I could be wrong.”
Salah is currently having an impressive season. He has scored 10 goals and provided 10 assists in 17 games, helping Liverpool top the Premier League table with 28 points from 11 matches. Liverpool are also top of the the UEFA Champions League league phase with 12 points from four games.
Salah’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and no agreement has been reached on an extension yet.
Liverpool’s next match is against Southampton on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at 4 PM Cairo time.