EGYPT BOSS? I DON’T CARE WHAT HE SPHINX!
Klopp reacts after Aguirre claims magic Mo will have to leave the Reds to fulfil his dreams
JURGEN KLOPP has slammed Egypt chief Javier Aguirre for claiming Mo Salah may need to leave Liverpool to land trophies.
The Kop boss effectively told Aguirre to mind his own business by claiming the comments about Salah (above, left) were “not important”.
Salah’s international coach (above, right) said this week that the striker should leave Anfield “in a season or two if Liverpool doesn’t win any titles”. But Klopp said: “Who is the manager? Aguirre? OK. I’ll try to be nice, eh!
“I would say if Aguirre doesn’t win a title in the next couple of years then he has to move to another club or country, for sure.
“I don’t know why people say things like that. It’s not that important.
“Obviously, I don’t agree with it, but it’s a free world and he can say whatever he wants.” Klopp was in a better mood on the topic of Sadio Mane after the Senegal forward committed his future to the Reds until 2023. The German said it is a sign that Anfield is now a place where their top players believe they can take the next step. Klopp added: “If a player is in a very good moment in his career and you can extend the contract, it’s more than just a signing, it’s a statement. I’m happy about that.
“It shows a bit of the change the club made in the last few years. A few years ago it constantly happened that players in a very good moment thought they had to leave to make the next step. “Now our boys think they can make the next step here. That’s good. “We’re in a situation where players don’t want to leave. We need to perform constantly at our highest level – that’s the next challenge.”
But he admitted he cannot stop other clubs from sniffing around despite the £89million clause they have to put Barcelona off poaching players for the next two years as part of the deal to sell Philippe Coutinho in January.
He said: “I don’t ask players, ‘Is there one club that would make you forget everything?’.
“For Phil it was Barcelona, we didn’t know about that. I’m not sure even Phil knew before they called.
“It was not a normal situation and in the end they had to pay quite an amount of money to get him. All good for both sides.
“How can we be sure about that? If someone comes and offers us £500m or whatever, what? Would I think it’s possible? No. But I was wrong on that a few times before.”
Klopp also confirmed that Daniel Sturridge remains in contention to play despite an FA charge for alleged breaches of betting rules.
He has also urged Dominic Solanke to be patient for his chance at Liverpool and said he has “sympathy” for the England Under-21 star who is down the pecking order at the club.