Liverpool finally reels in Salah
LIVERPOOL — Liverpool on Thursday completed the signing of Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah from AS Roma for a fee reported to be $43.5 million.
The 25-year-old agreed a five-year contract with the Premier League giant.
Salah, who has also played for Basel, Chelsea and Fiorentina, has been capped 52 times, scoring 29 international goals.
“I’m very excited to be here. I’m very happy,” said Salah, who spent two seasons at Roma, where he sniped 29 goals in 65 Serie A appearances.
“I will give 100 percent for the club. I really want to win something for Liverpool.
“We have a great team and very good players. I was watching the games last year and everyone was giving 100 percent to win something.
“Everyone can see the coach gives everything. I hope to see that together we can give everything to win something for the club, for the supporters and for us.”
Salah was a long-term target of Liverpool, who previously tried to sign him three years ago when it was outbid by Chelsea, and current manager Jurgen Klopp was keen to add more pace to his side.
Klopp said he has been a fan of the winger since his early days at Basel and believes his experience in Italy will be a key to the Reds returning to the Champions League next season.
“He knows the Premier League, he has pedigree in the Champions League and he is one of the most important players for his country,” Klopp said in a statement on the club website.
“His record in Italy has been outstanding and he possesses qualities that will enhance our team and squad. I have followed him since he emerged at Basel and he has matured into a really good player.
“His pace is incredible, he gives us more attacking threat and we are already strong in that area.
“Most important though, for us, is that he is hungry, willing and eager to be even better and improve further.
“He believes in what we are trying to do here at Liverpool and is extremely keen to be part of it. He is very excited about performing for our wonderful supporters.
“He is an ambitious player who wants to win and win at the highest level; he knows he can realize those ambitions with Liverpool.
Klopp has already signed England’s Under-20 World Cup winner Dominic Solanke after his contract expired with Chelsea, with a fee likely to be decided by a tribunal.