Roy says buy, buy to Palace
Klopp backs his man to one day Kop top gong
JURGEN KLOPP has tipped Liverpool star Sadio Mane to land the Ballon d’Or.
The Senegal forward finished fourth in this year’s awards, trailing winner Lionel Messi, Reds team-mate Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But Messi has admitted Mane, 27, was unlucky not to finish in the top three after an outstanding year where he helped Liverpool to win the Champions League and finish runners-up in the Premier League.
The Barcelona ace said: “Mane achieved a great year that was exceptional for the entire Liverpool team. That’s why I chose him.”
Mane was also joint top of the Premier League Golden Boot charts and helped his country to finish second in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Sane, signed from Southampton for £34m in the summer of 2016, has continued his eye-catching form this season and has even overtaken Mo Salah as Liverpool’s talisman.
With Salah and Roberto Firmino on the bench, he stepped up to the plate in the Merseyside derby to be man of the match with two assists and his 13th goal of the season.
But Kop boss Klopp believes Mane can get even better.
He said: “Sadio is in incredible shape. Each year he has made big steps and he is on a good way.
“I saw that Franco Baresi, one of the best defenders I can imagine, was really positive about Van Dijk. So if
Messi says something about Sadio, it is like being crowned by the king.
“Since his first day he was incredibly important player.
“I remember his goal against Arsenal – running down the line, cutting inside and then with the next step, with the left foot, finding the far corner.
“That was an incredible goal and I can still remember that with all the other goals he scored.
“Sadio, especially in the game against Barcelona last season, was really impressive.
“It was like we had three of him on the pitch and he keeps that shape.
“If he stays healthy, he will have an incredible career in front of him.
“He can climb that table in the Ballon d’Or, but then it is up to other people to make that decision.
“Internally, of course, he is not underappreciated but across the world? I am not sure.
“The first three in the Ballon d’Or were Messi, Van
Dijk, Cristiano and Sadio. That is a nice row.
“Mo was fifth and Alisson seventh, so we obviously played a good season and the judges had respect that.” to an (right)
ROY HODGSON has revealed he is deeply involved in Crystal Palace’s transfer plans for next season.
The 72-year-old Eagles manager, who has steered them to seventh spot in the Premier League, is in talks over a new one-year deal with chairman Steve Parish.
Hodgson, whose contract runs out in the summer, wants to stay on and the club want him to continue.
With that in mind, Hodgson, Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman have been heavily involved in recruitment plans for the next two windows.
The former England boss has already said he wants a new striker as well as at least one new full-back, with Joel Ward out long-term with a knee problem.
Palace are interested in Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard and Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster, as well as CSKA Moscow forward Fedor Chalev and AC Milan’s Fabio Borini.
Hodgson, whose side visit Watford today, said: “The club want me to have a very serious say in what players are coming into the club and are going to be here for the next two or three years.
“If they don’t particularly want me to stay longer myself, then you might have to ask the question, ‘Why are we involving him so much in players for the next few years?’.”
Palace are also braced for another battle to hold on to Wilfried Zaha – the subject of unsuccessful offers from both Arsenal and Everton in the summer.
Hodgson added: “When you have a player of that quality, it’s not surprising they’re coveted. But he’s a Palace player, under contract to us.
‘‘No one here wants to sell him but sometimes bids come in which are very difficult to deal with.
“If that happens, we’ll deal with it.”