Story by Daniel Orme
Mohamed Salah has admitted that he would have ‘mixed feelings’ playing against Liverpool. The Egyptian forward quit Anfield this summer following a stunning spell in which he scored 257 goals in 442 appearances, helping the Reds win two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
After a period without a club, Salah eventually opted for a move to Turkish side Trabzonspor. He has had a positive start to life with his new employers, having netted three goals in as many Super Lig games.
But it appears that he has not lost his affection for Liverpool, having admitted that it would be tricky facing them on the pitch. “I would feel mixed feelings,” the 34-year-old said. “It’s mixed feelings because I’ve been there nine years.
“I love the city, I love the fans and we always had a special relationship. It would be very tricky.”
A reunion at this stage is highly unlikely, however. Trabzonspor are set to be without any form of European football, having been knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers by Hungarian side Ferencvaros, while Liverpool are due to compete in the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have already found their Salah replacement after sealing a £123m deal for PSG ’s Bradley Barcola over the final days of the summer window. Asked about his new signing, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said: “Bradley hadn’t played a single minute since the World Cup so we needed to be careful.
“He is training well, he is in a good place and I think he has helped us. Probably we haven’t found him in a couple of situations where he was going in with the keeper, and we haven’t seen his movement.
Mo Salah© Getty Images
“There was also a very good counter and pass inside that we didn’t score, but [he was] always a threat [vs Ipswich].
“When he carries the ball, you can feel this threat and [be] happy because it is 30 minutes that are going to be good for his fitness and for his build-up. We will continue and we play a lot of games so he will have the chance to play more.
“I think [patience] is normal. He hasn’t played any preseason, not even a minute and I think he is still in a good place.
“I don’t think he will need something like a special build-up, but we have to be aware that he hasn’t played in a while. The demands for the games are different from training, so we have to consider this.”
