Mohamed Salah’s former club managers in Italy have delivered huge praise to the forward as he reportedly prepares to finalise a club-record transfer to Liverpool.
Luciano Spalletti, who managed Salah at Roma last season, and Vincenzo Montella, who was his boss when on loan at previous club Fiorentina, are in no doubt about the pedigree of the 25-year-old.
Egyptian outlet King Fut claimed at the weekend that the Merseyside giants have had a £39.4million bid accepted for Salah by Roma and the green light has been given for him to complete a transfer that will become the biggest in the club’s history.
It is said that the Egypt international has booked his flight ticket to England and will undergo medical tests at Liverpool on Tuesday to finalise the terms of the blockbuster deal.
Salah will arrive at Anfield after spending the last two-and-a-half seasons in Serie A following a difficult spell at Chelsea.
He has blossomed in Italy, first during six months on loan at Fiorentina and then over two years at Roma where he has been one of the most penetrative forwards in the top fight.
A run of six goals in his first seven appearances for Fiorentina included an electrifying brace in a Coppa Italia semi-final clash against Juventus and 26 appearances for the club yielded nine goals and four assists.
“Perhaps we got the better end of that deal,” said manager Vicenzo Montella to Sky Sports. “We knew Salah’s characteristics but didn’t expect him to have such an immediate impact in Italian football. Maybe only Leo Messi is quicker than him with the ball at his feet.”
He then joined Roma, where he developed into an outstanding creator and finisher, scoring 34 goals and providing a further 24 from 83 appearances for the side that finished second to Juventus in both 2016-17, and third a season previously.
Following a 5-0 win over Palermo in February, Spalletti lauded Salah as a “world-class talent” and was so eager to praise his defensive work-rate that he produced a video of the player sprinting 70 yards to make a vital challenge deep in his own half.
“Mohamed Salah has picked up fantastic, brilliant habits,” said Spalletti to Sky Sports. “He was running to recover a lost ball in the 75th minute [against Palermo]. This is the right path to follow. If every player in our squad applied the same level, we’ll get so much satisfaction from games. These are the right habits.”