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      Conor Bradley set for 650 PER CENT pay rise as Liverpool offer five-year contract with Trent Alexander-Arnold to quit

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      LIVERPOOL have opened talks with Conor Bradley over a new five-year contract.Arne Slot has earmarked the Northern Irish defender as the most likely long-term replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is expected to leave for Real Madrid at the end of the season.Conor Bradley is in talks to sign a new deal on MerseysideCredit: AlamyThe 21-year-old has impressed since breaking into the first XI last seasonCredit: RexBradley only signed his previous contract 15 months ago, but the club are keen to tie him down long-term given the uncertainty of Alexander-Arnold’s future.The 21-year-old’s current contract expires in 2027 and he is understood to be eager to sign an extended deal until 2030.It’s reported Bradley earns £10,000 per week on his current deal.Liverpool’s new offer is understood to be worth around £75,000-a-week.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThat would put Bradley on a par with more experienced first-team players in Slot’s squad.With both parties aligned in principle, an agreement could be reached before the end of the season.Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk could leave Anfield on free transfers at the end of the season, which would be a huge blow for the club.Alexander-Arnold is expected to leave for Madrid, who had a £20million bid for him rejected by Liverpool in January.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSBut the Reds are hopeful that Salah and Van Dijk can be persuaded to stay.Bradley’s emergence as an alternative at right-back could soften the blow of Alexander-Arnold’s anticipated departure.How Man United destroyed Trent in spectacular Liverpool draw amid £100m Real Madrid transfer talksFollowing an impressive season on loan at League One Bolton during the 2022/23 campaign, he established himself as an important squad player under Jurgen Klopp last year.Bradley made 23 appearances and started Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea.Slot has continued to back Bradley this season, giving him 22 games already.The Dutch manager has been rewarded with a series of impressive performances, including a mature marking job on Kylian Mbappe in Liverpool’s 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid in November.Liverpool declined to comment. More

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      Ousmane Dembele is outscoring Mo Salah as Liverpool face PSG at worst time with Frenchman finally coming into his own

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      OUSMANE DEMBELE is one of the most expensive footballers of all time.The Paris Saint-Germain star has won four league titles, lifted domestic cups in three countries and played in a World Cup final.Ousmane Dembele is at last living up to lofty predictionsCredit: GettyMo Salah has been tipped for the Ballon d’Or amid a brilliant seasonCredit: AlamyYet the France forward has never made much of an impression on English football.But that could be about to change as Dembele heads into a Champions League clash with Liverpool in the form of his life.The 27-year-old has outscored even Kop hero Mo Salah in the past three months as he and PSG grow in confidence that they can finally end their long wait for European glory.Dembele scored yet another goal as PSG warmed up for Wednesday’s Liverpool clash in the French capital with a 4-1 demolition of Lille on Saturday.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd he is stepping out of the shadow of fellow France forward Kylian Mbappe, who left Paris for Real Madrid in the summer.When Dembele joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, the deal — worth up to £138million — was the second biggest in football history, behind only the £200m that PSG had just spent on Neymar.Yet despite winning three LaLiga titles in six seasons with Barca, Dembele struggled to live up to expectations at the Camp Nou, partly because of injuries and the club’s financial crisis.It is only now, after returning to France in 2023 to replace Neymar again — this time at PSG — that he seems to be fulfilling the potential he showed as a precocious teenager.Most read in Champions LeagueDembele outstrips Salah with his goal ratio but not for assistsBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSMasour Ousmane Dembele was 13 when he was spotted by Stade Rennais and made his senior debut for them in November 2015 when aged 18.Mikael Silvestre — the former Manchester United, Arsenal and France defender — was an adviser to the club’s president. France stars stroke Ousmane Dembele’s face and go wild as he collects award after win over PortugalAnd after Dembele scored a hat-trick against Nantes in March 2016, Silvestre compared him to “a young Cristiano Ronaldo”, having watched the Portugal maestro emerge at Old Trafford.Barcelona and a host of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, were tracking Dembele.But it was Dortmund who snapped him up in the summer of 2016 in a deal worth about £30m.Dembele rewarded Dortmund’s faith, on and off the pitch.In a stellar campaign he was the Bundesliga rookie of the year and scored crucial goals in the semi-final and final of the German cup as the club claimed their first trophy for five years.Dembele earned his first senior caps for France and claimed a first international goal in a 3-2 friendly win over England.Barcelona had seen enough to follow up their earlier interest and sign the 20-year-old in that deal worth up to £138m — the same fee they would spend on Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho later in the season.That sort of spending would come back to haunt both club and player.And Dembele, handed the No 11 shirt just vacated by Neymar, had a sticky start.He picked up a hamstring injury early in the season that kept him out for more than three months. And that was to be the story of his six seasons in Catalonia.Dembele was tipped for greatness while with Lionel Messi at BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – GettyDembele is now a genuine rival to Kylian Mbappe in the striking stakesCredit: RexFor each of his three LaLiga titles, there was at least one serious hamstring complaint and overall he missed 784 days with 14 different injuriesBarca boss Xavi once claimed that Dembele could be “the best player in the world”.But that sounded like wishful thinking.Then the club were forced to let Lionel Messi leave in 2021 because of their growing financial problems. In 2022, Dembele renewed his contract but on terms that reportedly cut his salary by 40 per cent.And despite him playing his part in the title win of 2022-3, Barcelona ended up selling the forward to PSG for £43.5m.It was deja vu all over again for Dembele. Days after he joined the Paris side he inherited Neymar’s No 10 shirt when the Brazilian joined the talent exodus to Saudi Arabia.Dembele scored in the French cup final win over Lyon that sealed a domestic Double and made key contributions to PSG’s run to the semi-finals of the Champions League.But his six goals in 42 appearances were eclipsed, on and off the pitch, by club and international team-mate Mbappe.France captain Mbappe scored 44 goals in 48 games but even that achievement was overshadowed by the constant speculation about his future. That ended with confirmation that he would be joining Real Madrid on a free transfer.So at the start of this season, Dembele once more faced the challenge of replacing an acknowledged superstar.“The best thing I’ve done was not letting Ousmane play in London [at Arsenal]. That day everyone criticised me. PSG boss Luis EnriqueAnd this time he is delivering, thanks in part to a bit of tough love from Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.Dembele was dropped for the Champions League trip to Arsenal in early October because, in Enrique’s words, he had “not respected nor complied with the obligations and requirements of the team”.It did not immediately look like a masterstroke of man-management from the former Barcelona and Spain boss.Dembele struggled for both goals and assists before being sent off in the 1-0 defeat at Bayern Munich that left PSG facing elimination from the Champions League before the knockout stage.But since the start of December, no one in Europe’s big five leagues — not even Egyptian king Salah — has scored more goals than Dembele.His haul of 18 in 13 appearances includes back-to-back hat-tricks, in the 4-1 win over Stuttgart that earned progress in the Champions League and the 5-2 Ligue 1 victory over Brest.Enrique said: “You’d have to ask him what he ate for Christmas!“The best thing I’ve done was not letting Ousmane play in London [at Arsenal]. “That day everyone criticised me. It was, by far, the best decision I’ve taken this year, but Dembele did the rest of the work.”READ MORE SUN STORIESTwo more Dembele goals against Brest again in the first leg of the Champions League play-off set PSG well on their way to Wednesday’s clash with Liverpool and Salah.And the club where Messi, Neymar and Mbappe all failed to deliver that longed-for European title has new hope with their new hero.PSG want Dembele to surpass the achievements of three iconsCredit: Getty More

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      Arsenal face competition from Liverpool as they chase free Joshua Kimmich transfer after Bayern contract talks collapsed

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      ARSENAL and Liverpool are set for a tug-of-war transfer battle over Joshua Kimmich.Bayern Munich star Kimmich is out of contract in the summer and the Bundesliga giants have pulled the plug on new deal talks.Arsenal and Liverpool are set to battle it out for Joshua Kimmich ahead of the summer transfer windowCredit: APTrent Alexander-Arnold is set to move to Real Madrid in the summer and Kimmich could fill inCredit: GettyBut Kimmich is now free to speak to foreign clubs, with several Prem sides and Barcelona keen to snap up the German World Cup winner.The Gunners want midfield reinforcements with Jorginho, 33, and Thomas Partey, 31, out of contract this summer.Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi has already been lined up for a £51million switch to North London.But Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is an admirer of Kimmich, who can also play as an inverted full-back.Read More on ArsenalFringe players — like Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko — could be sold to raise funds.While Liverpool also want to strengthen their midfield having failed to do so last summer.Kimmich could also replace England full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold who has been linked with a free move to Real Madrid.Barca’s ex-Bayern boss Hansi Flick coached Kimmich, but the Spanish side still have financial troubles.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSKimmich has been a key player for Bayern for several yearsBayern Munich currently lead the Bundesliga table and are eight points clear of Bayer Leverkusen.They face Stuttgart on Friday evening, although Kimmich will not feature due to a hamstring problem.Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal to ‘step up’ as focus switches to Champions League Ahead of the match, Vincent Kompany said: “We only have our sights set on Stuttgart.”But he probably won’t be travelling with us. The game is probably too early for him.” More

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      Karren Brady: Slot subtly tweaked Klopp’s famous ‘heavy metal’ tactical approach to turn Liverpool into worthy champions

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      AT THE start of the season, title conversation centred around Manchester City’s seemingly inevitable dominance, Arsenal’s growth and a resurgent Chelsea.Yet here we are, with Liverpool at the summit of the Premier League, proving once again football is not played on paper — but on the pitch.Arne Slot has turned Liverpool into soon-to-be-champions in his first seasonCredit: EPASlot’s tactics have helped Mo Salah have his best campaign everCredit: AFPLiverpool have defied expectations, outgunned their rivals and shown themselves to be the rightful champions-in-waiting.It is often said that winning is about mentality as much as ability, and this Liverpool side is built on the kind of resilience that turns good teams into great ones.Their famous “mentality monsters” have re-emerged this season, grinding out results when it mattered most.Late winners, comeback victories and an insatiable will to win have become the hallmarks of this side.Read more football newsWhile City stumbled with uncharacteristic sloppiness, and Arsenal lacked the ruthlessness of true champions, Liverpool have been relentless.With Jurgen Klopp no longer at the helm, many expected Liverpool to struggle. Instead, they have adapted brilliantly.Under new manager Arne Slot, the team have maintained the high standards set under Klopp while implementing fresh tactical ideas.Slot, who arrived last summer from Feyenoord, has brought a dynamic, possession-based style of play that emphasises high pressing and fluid attacking movement.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHis philosophy aligns well with Liverpool’s aggressive ethos, making the transition smooth and effective.This speaks volumes about the club’s long-term planning and the resilience of the squad.Liverpool boss Arne Slot makes promise after he’s charged for his role in heated Merseyside Derby chaosEven so, Slot and his assistants have created a fully tutored team, one that seems to skilfully cover every blade of grass.Many paths lead to leading scorer Mo Salah, who at 32 is playing sharper football than at any time in an exceptional career.He has abandoned his wild hairstyle, smiles like a happy lad and tidied up his appearance in readiness, I hope, to receive the Ballon d’Or he so cherishes. Watch him, this jinking little fellow cutting in from the right and ­swinging his left-foot shot into the far corner of the net.  It has become one of the great sights in football. Much has been made of Liverpool’s evolution this season. Unlike Arsenal’s over-reliance on key players or City’s struggles without Rodri at times, Liverpool have navigated their absences with minimal disruption.The team subtly tweaked its tactical approach, shifting from the famed ‘heavy-metal football’ favoured by Klopp to a more controlled and balanced system.Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hybrid role has added a new dimension, while the emergence of young talents like Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones has injected fresh energy into the squad.Slot has also reinforced defensive stability while ensuring the attack remains as potent as ever. Liverpool have found ways to win matches in different styles.They can blitz teams with intensity or manage games with composure.Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have struggled do deal with injury problemsCredit: GettyLiverpool have defied fears they might struggle after Klopp’s exitCredit: GettyAnd that adaptability has turned Liverpool into the most well-rounded side in the Premier League.While injuries have tested Liverpool’s squad depth, their recruitment and squad management have ensured they have the right players at the right time.Unlike Arsenal’s over-reliance on key players or City’s struggles without Rodri at times, Liverpool have navigated their absences with minimal disruption.The return of key players for the final stretch of the season will only strengthen Liverpool’s charge towards the title.While City’s dominance has been built on an empire of limitless spending, Liverpool have had to be smarter. They have built a team, a culture, and an identity that stands apart in modern football.This title, should they complete the job, will be a testament to the squad’s character and the club’s refusal to back down against financially superior rivals.While City’s dominance has been built on an empire of limitless spending, Liverpool have had to be smarter. They have built a team, a culture, and an identity that stands apart in modern football.READ MORE SUN STORIESAs the business end of the season arrives, one thing is clear: Liverpool have the hunger, mentality and quality to reclaim their crown.The writing is on the wall… and it is written in red. More

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      Liverpool paid Jurgen Klopp and staff MILLIONS to leave as Reds announce record losses for last season

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      LIVERPOOL lost a record £57MILLION last season – despite an all-time revenue high.The £9.6m cost of paying off Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff at the end of a campaign without Champions League football meant the Anfield side posted the loss even though the club grossed £614m in income.Liverpool lost a stunning £57million last season – despite producing an all-time revenue highCredit: AFPThe departure of club icon Jurgen Klopp had a small part to do with the huge lossesCredit: GETTYKlopp and his coaching staff were paid £9.6million at the end of the 2023/24 seasonCredit: GETTYBeing out of the European elite represented the bulk of the £38m drop in broadcast income.Wages rose by £14m to £386m, with the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.But the losses – up by more than £40m from 2022-23 – were mitigated by the opening of the new Anfield Road Stand adding £22m to matchday revenues.There was also a substantial uptick in commercial income, up by £36 million to £308million after four new global partner sponsorship deals were struck.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLLiverpool are on course to make £100m-plus from their Champions League campaign if they get past PSG in this month’s last 16 tie.Chief Financial Officer Jenny Beacham said: “Operating a financially sustainable club continues to be our priority.”And with the continued increase in costs, it’s essential to grow income streams year on year to maintain financial stability.“The global appeal of this football club continues to be phenomenal and is the underlying strength and opportunity we have for continued growth.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThe arrivals of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister contributed to a £14million increase in club wagesCredit: Rex“We will continue to operate in accordance with football’s financial rules and regulations while maintaining investment opportunities in our operations, infrastructure and players.“Our focus right now is to finish this season as strong as possible, both on and off the pitch, to fulfil our collective ambitions for success.”Ex-Liverpool boss and heavy metal fan Jurgen Klopp soundproofs £6m mansion in Germany’s ‘Beverly Hills’Prem table-toppers Liverpool will be back in action on Wednesday, travelling to Paris to take on PSG in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. More

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      Rio Ferdinand continues row with Jamie Carragher as he joins Boris Becker in sticking boot into Liverpool legend

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      RIO FERDINAND fired more shots at Jamie Carragher after tennis icon Boris Becker blasted the Liverpool legend.Carragher has faced the heat after giving his reasons for why he thinks the Africa Cup of Nations is not a “major tournament”.Rio Ferdinand has somewhat reignited his row with Jamie CarragherCredit: GettyFerdinand chimed in and backed Boris Becker’s criticism of CarragherCredit: GettyThe Liverpool legend has been in the eye of a storm this weekCredit: GettyCarragher, 47, spoke on Sky Sports after Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Manchester City and appeared to suggest that playing at Afcon worked against Mo Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.The former centre-back hinted that Salah can’t win a major tournament – in his eyes, the Euros, Copa America, or the World Cup – for which Egypt are not heavily fancied.But that opinion brought him criticism from the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Micah Richards, and Ferdinand – the latter of which Carragher called a “clown” this week.And now three-time Wimbledon champion Becker has joined the pile-on regarding a separate issue. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSCarragher had weighed in on Vincent Kompany’s tenure at Bayern Munich after the German side squeezed past Celtic in the Champions League play-offs last week, after beating the Scottish champs 3-2 on aggregate.The pundit said: “Bayern have not convinced me at all yet. “Now they are playing against Leverkusen, who dominated Bayern in the Bundesliga recently. It’s a 50-50 tie.”In the end, I’m predicting Leverkusen to advance. If Kompany does not win, there will be many question marks about his appointment.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”Because the league is expected and the Champions League is the icing on the cake of a season. They have to reach at least the semi-finals.”But Becker, a Bayern fan who has been a board member, hit back: “There haven’t been any questions regarding the appointment of Kompany! ‘Oh, God… did he say that?’ – Pep Guardiola left in disbelief at Jamie Carragher’s ‘not nice and not true’ claim”In fact, Bayern just said domestic title is the most important trophy this year and are happy with the work of Kompany! Jamie is NOT well informed at all.”And Ferdinand couldn’t resist capitalising on his former rival’s woes.The Manchester United legend simply replied to the tweet and said: “Boris… he’s having a bad couple weeks. Let him off”.Ferdinand and Carragher’s clash has centred around the latter’s take on the Afcon, which has made huge headlines.Carragher was pulled up live on air by Sturridge and Richards for saying: “I think the problem is the fact Salah is with Egypt.”And he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such, or maybe got a great chance of winning, I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament.”Richards hit back: “Just to say, Afcon is a major tournament because a lot of people are at home saying ‘they aren’t taking it serious’. Afcon is a big tournament, just so you know.”Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher landed in hot water over comments regarding the Africa Cup of NationsFerdinand, 46, caught wind of Carragher’s statement and argued that this sort of thought process is “ignorant”.Carragher heard what Ferdinand had to say on Instagram and hit back with a fiery response in the comments’ section.The Liverpool great branded his fellow Premier League hero a “clown” as he insisted his words were taken out of context.Carragher responded: “I didn’t say that, you clown. Stop playing to the gallery like you always do.”Plenty of people have agreed with Carragher – including Joey Barton, who issued an impassioned video defence of his take.Ballon d’Or winners have often tasted glory in either the Champions League or an international tournament – typically the Euros or Copa America. No African star has won the gong since George Weah in 1995, while Sadio Mane finished second in the 2022 edition.Meanwhile, Carragher also got on the bad side of Pep Guardiola last week.The Manchester City boss fumed at “not nice” claims Erling Haaland ducked the club’s blockbuster Champions League second-leg because he was scared of Antonio Rudiger.Carragher implied the Norway ace wanted to avoid Real’s fit-again centre-back Rudiger, 31.Speaking as the pundit on CBS, he said: “It’s Rudiger-itis is it? Is that what we’re saying here?”READ MORE SUN STORIESAhead of City’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, Guardiola shook his head in disbelief when told of Carra’s stunning comments.He said: “Oh, God. Did he say that? Jamie Carragher said that? Oh God. Don’t laugh. I don’t know why he makes that suspicious, you know that? More

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      ‘I just want them to remember’ – Mo Salah gives biggest hint yet he will LEAVE Liverpool with contract running down

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      MOHAMED SALAH has dropped his biggest hint yet that his Liverpool reign will end this season.As things currently stand, the Egyptian phenomenon is set to depart the Reds on a free when his contract expires this summer.Mohamed Salah had dropped a massive hint that his time at Liverpool could be overCredit: TNT SportsSalah is enjoying a record breaking seasonCredit: PASalah wants to add a second Premier League title to his trophy collectionCredit: Getty Images – GettySalah admitted that he has produced the best individual season of his career as Liverpool sit 11 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Prem.His astonishing 41 goal contributions in the league, via 25 goals and 16 assists, has left manager Arne Slot with one hand on the title.Remarkably, it seems that won’t be enough to keep him at Anfield beyond the summer.Salah spoke with club legend Steve McManaman about his time at Liverpool ahead of Newcastle’s Merseyside trip on Wednesday.READ MORE LIVERPOOL NEWSThe 32-year-old – who is currently Liverpool’s third highest-ever goal scorer – shared his adoration for the historic club.But Salah was speaking in past tense and all but told fans that his days in Red are numbered as things stand.On his legacy, the winger told TNT Sports: “I just want fans to remember that I gave it all to the fans, I gave it all to the city. “I was here, I wasn’t lazy, I just enjoyed my football and gave it my all.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”I think that’s what the city is about, they give you love, you have a connection with them.”I just want them to remember that I was here for eight years…or whatever.”Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai react to a BIG win for Liverpool at Manchester CitySalah broke SIX records when Liverpool dismantled Manchester City with ease on Sunday.McManaman then stressed the obvious fact that Liverpool fans want Salah to stay beyond eight years.The legendary Real Madrid midfielder – who works as a TNT commentator now – asked Salah if there’s been any developments with his contract.Salah smiled as he shook his head and added: “No, in a very polite way.”It’s not exactly a comforting update from the main man but of course Anfield chiefs Fenway Sports Group could offer him a new deal.Salah has been free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs since January and Saudi Arabia remain in the hunt.This is the fifth time Salah has dropped a subtle hint about leaving Liverpool this season.After beating Man City in December, he admitted: “Honestly that’s what’s in my head — this is in all probability the last City game I will play for Liverpool so I am just going to enjoy it.”Salah’s potential contract headache first made headlines after Liverpool smashed Manchester United 3-0 in September.He continued: “Nobody has talked to me yet about a contract so I am just like ‘I will play my last season and we will see in the summer.”The Egyptian scored his 241st goal on Sunday, which moved him joint-third on Liverpool’s all-time goalscoring list Gordon Hodgson.Ian Rush leads the way with 346 goals, Roger Hunt has 285.Asked if he’s planning to chase the goal-scoring records of Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane or Alan Shearer, Salah said: “Yeah if I stay in this country, I will think about it.”But so far I’m just thinking about winning the Premier League and we will see at the end of the season.”Mo Salah broke another six remarkable records on Sunday afternoonArsene Wenger advised Salah that great players can always be called upon to produce a match-winning moment, even if they’ve had underwhelming game.He said: “I try to be stable and understand that you won’t be at your best every single game. “But if you stay focused, maybe you’ll have one chance. I don’t engage in trash talking. I just need one chance and you will play for it.”If Salah does leave this summer, no other player would have left a Prem club on a bigger high.Salah added: “I think this season is my best season because I make the other players around me better as well.”If you look at all the numbers for my team-mates, they’re going to be higher than my previous seasons. My assists are higher.”If you look at that direction, I think that Cody Gakpo and others players are enjoying a good season.”READ MORE SUN STORIESOn the Ballon d’Or talk, Salah said: “Lets win the league and Champions League first.”Because with the Ballon d’Or, there’s sometimes other stuff involved there. I just want to win the Premier League.” More

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      From Chelsea flop to not wanted by Klopp – can Mo Salah end Ballon d’Or hoodoo or will it be Madrid heartbreak again?

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      MO SALAH has spent his entire career proving people wrong.Yet for Liverpool’s brilliant, 32-year-old talisman, to be crowned the best player on the planet would be his greatest achievement – for a variety of reasons.Mo Salah has been the star of the Premier League this seasonCredit: ReutersHe flopped when he first came to England at ChelseaCredit: Action Images – ReutersJurgen Klopp originally was not keen on signing the Egyptian forwardCredit: Sunday TimesFrom being a Chelsea flop and then not wanted by Jurgen Klopp to becoming one of Liverpool’s greatest players while firing Arne Slot to a stunning debut season with 30 goals.And we’re only in February.It is inevitable that Salah will collect his second Premier League winners’ medal after Sunday’s 2-0 win at Manchester City – but could he pip Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr to the Ballon d’Or later this year?It is difficult to believe that 11 years ago last month, Salah joined Chelsea from Basel for £11m, but in his two years at Stamford Bridge made just six Premier League starts and scored only two goals.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThis was because he spent most of his time away from West London on loan at Fiorentina and Roma.Although fingers have always pointed at Jose Mourinho, who was in charge for much of the time when Salah was a Chelsea player, the Portuguese coach said: “For a start, people try to identify me as the coach that sold Salah. I am the coach that bought Salah. It’s completely the wrong idea.“I pushed the club to buy him and at the time we already had fantastic attacking players – Hazard, Willian, we had top talent there. But I told them to buy that kid.”Salah was sold once Mourinho had left the club and proved to be a huge hit for Roma in a £12m move.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut after shining in Serie A, he returned to England for £34m in 2017 yet incredibly, the move was not initially wanted by Liverpool manager Klopp.Klopp’s first preference was to sign German international Julian Brandt from Bayer Leverkusen.Fans plead with Pep Guardiola as they spot secret Mo Salah charm offensive after Liverpool loss Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool stats Mohamed Salah has been a constant star since his arrival at Anfield in 2017…Appearances: 387Goals: 241Assists: 109Trophies: Premier League x1, FA Cup x1, League Cup x2, Community Shield x1, Champions League x1, Uefa Super Cup x1, Fifa Club World Cup x1Instead, Liverpool’s head of recruitment at the time Dave Fallows was the person who insisted on the club signing Salah.Yet the Egyptian was an instant sensation, scoring 44 goals from 52 games.Yet, he did not necessarily enjoy a close, warm relationship with Klopp. It was more professional and cordial than anything.There were occasions during his spell on Merseyside when Salah was clearly hoping for a move to Spain, hence a couple of interviews with Spanish sports paper Marca.This was a surprise because he has barely ever spoken to the English media apart from brief TV interviews directly after matches when, most of the time, he was handed the man-of-the-match award.Even last season, Salah argued with Klopp on the touchline during the 2-2 Premier League draw with West Ham.Afterwards, he said he claimed if he spoke “there will be fire” which clearly illustrated the relationship was not totally harmonious.By then, Salah knew Klopp would be heading off into the sunset and few people would have expected the forward to shine like this season under new boss Slot.Salah was one of the three musketeers alongside Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane. Yet when his brilliant attacking unit started to break up, some Liverpool fans wanted to keep the other two.Even at the start of this season, there were some supporters who felt that, maybe, it was time for Salah to move on once his contract expired this summer.Now, though, there is not a single person connected with the club who wants their talisman to leave. Despite the mega money offers from Saudi Arabia, Salah – surely – will remain a Liverpool player.So that means he will still be on Merseyside when we have the Ballon d’Or awards later this year.There was a huge outcry in Madrid when Manchester City midfielder Rodri pipped Vinicius to the award last October. The weird thing was that everyone in Spain seemed to forget that it was actually Jude Bellingham who won the LaLiga player-of-the-year award.But Real officials made the decision to boycott the awards. And because they have made such a fuss, you would expect Brazilian star Vinicius to be a firm favourite for this year, albeit for the wrong reasons.So if Salah is to win the accolade this year, he might actually have to lead Liverpool to success in the Champions League final in Munich on May 31.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt seems a bit unfair but that is what he is facing. But equally, anyone betting against this remarkable footballer could be proved wrong. Again. More