Liverpool: Mo Salah ‘will definitely stay’ as ‘leak’ was behind Jurgen Klopp announcement

Former Liverpool midfielder Gary McAllister reckons Mohamed Salah “will definitely stay” at Anfield and reckons a “leak” was behind Jurgen Klopp’s exit announcement.

The football world was shocked last Friday when Klopp announced that he will depart Anfield at the end of the season after nine years in charge.

A number of managers from around football have been linked with the Liverpool job and Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is the current favourite.

Klopp has won six major trophies since joining Liverpool in 2015 and McAllister has revealed his shock at the announcement.

McAllister told William Hill: “Everybody in the world of football was rocked by Jurgen Klopp’s announcement. I thought it was a wind up but then my phone exploded with messages and headlines, I was just as surprised as everyone else.

“Jurgen had let the owners know in November so they’ve done amazingly well to keep it under wraps for this long. Part of me thinks the announcement has been made now because it might have been about to get leaked.

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“The way he spoke was very sincere and very heartfelt. He’s been at Liverpool for nine years, managing the expectations of the fans and doing what he has to in order to be a success – he’s done an amazing job.”

Speaking about Klopp’s time a the club, McAllister added: “Klopp and Liverpool are a perfect match. His style of play is always on the front foot and that is what the fans demand. They want to see players playing for the badge and he brings that.

“He’s got massive character and he also knows how to recruit. It takes a lot to build a good team and not only has he built one fantastic team, there’s also the one he’s built now. When you look at them this season, anything could happen. They’ve totally refreshed the midfield and are still heavily involved in all four major competitions.”

There has been speculation that Klopp’s exit will negatively effect the Reds’ chances of keeping Salah with rumours he could leave for Saudi Arabia in the summer.

On Salah, McAllister continued: “I think that Mohamed Salah will definitely stay at Liverpool beyond this season. He has got far too much in his locker to be thinking about going and playing in the Saudi Pro League. If Liverpool go on to win a couple of trophies this season, or even just one, why would you want to leave?

“He will still want to be playing at an elite level, he doesn’t need to drop down yet. He can go to Saudi in two or three years’ time, but not yet, given his form this year. Liverpool are favourites for the Europa League and they’re top of the Premier League, so they look set for Champions League football next season and that is where Salah wants to be. He can do other bits later on.”