TheCable

Mohammed Salah, Liverpool and Egyptian striker, rejected a move to Real Madrid in order to remain at the Anfield club, says the player’s former national team trainer.

Hany Ramzy, who at the time of the event was part of the coaching staff helping the Egyptian national team towards the 2018 World Cup, disclosed this to OnTime Sports.

The incident, Ramzy said, happened during a March training camp for the FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia.

Salah enjoyed instant success after he joined Liverpool from Roma in the summer of 2017 to become the team’s star player and this drew the attention of Real Madrid, lovers of exquisite footballers, with a concrete approach, an opportunity Ramzy said he rejected.

“When I was working with Hector Cuper, we had a training camp in Switzerland [in March 2018],” he said.

“I was talking to Salah and he told me that Real Madrid had sent him an offer.

“The offer was really good, but Salah discussed it with me and Mr Cuper, and he decided to stay with Liverpool because he was comfortable there.”

Salah then faced the Los Merengues in the UEFA Champions League final months later but he was substituted early in the first half due to an injury inflicted on him by Sergio Ramos.

Liverpool eventually lost the encounter 3-1 in Kiev to hand Real Madrid a third successive, record-setting UCL title.

Salah and Liverpool, however, bounced back 12 months later to claim the title when they defeated Tottenham Hostspur 2-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid.

Since moving to Liverpool, in a record-breaking €42 million deal, Salah has won numerous trophies and personal awards, including the UCL, World Club Cup, PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Player of the Year.