Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TROPHIES... OR LOSE MO
both Philippe Coutinho (above) and Luis Suarez to Barca in recent years, while Real are ready to break the bank to rebuild Zinedine Zidane’s squad.
Garcia believes Salah will feature on the wish-lists of both clubs — but that they can be kept at bay if Klopp can end the Merseysiders’ trophy drought.
Garcia said: “If Liverpool win trophies then I think it will be much easier for the club to keep Mo Salah.
“We know that Barcelona and Real Madrid will be in the market for the best players in the summer.
“And if you talk about the best players in the world right now then Mo Salah must be included.
“I have seen the talk that Barca and Madrid are interested in him and we have seen in the past with Suarez and Coutinho how difficult it is for players to say ‘no’ when they get the chance to sign for one of those clubs.
“At this moment, though, I think Liverpool are a different club than what they were.
“Last year they reached the Champions League final. This time they are challenging for the Premier League and the Champions League.
“They are now a club with the potential to win the big trophies.”
Nou Camp fans will get a close-up view of the brilliant 26-year-old Egyptian when Liverpool face Barca in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday night.
Klopp’s hopes of landing the club’s first Premier League title for 29 years hinge on the hope that champions Manchester City will drop points in the final three games of the season.
Garcia added: “If Barcelona or Real Madrid come you will be flattered. They are probably the only two teams that a Liverpool player would think about signing for. As a player you want to win trophies. If you sign for Real Madrid or Barcelona you know you are going to win trophies.
“At this moment, Liverpool are also a club that gives you the chance to win trophies — and they will now want to take that final step. There is no doubt that Salah would be a star at Real Madrid or Barcelona because he has such fantastic quality.
“I have heard people compare him to (Lionel) Messi. For me, that is a little too much, but he does have that speed and skill and he could perform for any team in the world.
“In my opinion, he is just behind Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo — at the same level as (Eden) Hazard and (Raheem) Sterling.”