The Egyptian forward claimed he was “devastated” to not qualify for the Champions League the following season, but Reds manager Klopp insisted he has no plans to leave.
Mohamed Salah won’t be looking for a way out in order to play in the Champions League, according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Egypt forward wrote on social media that he was “devastated” and that there was “absolutely no excuse” for Liverpool not finishing in the top four of the Premier League after Manchester United’s victory over Chelsea on Thursday sent them to the Europa League for the following season.
The 30-year-old player, who became the highest-paid player in the club’s history after signing a new contract last summer, will soon be entering the final 12 months of that agreement even if next season goes according to plan and they win back their Champions League spot.
After Salah made a rare public statement, a reporter asked Klopp if he was worried about Salah’s immediate future. Klopp responded, “No worries, no. I could only make out what he said; nothing else that might have hinted at it was readable.
“Mo was a part of it, and Mo obviously loves being here. He apologized for what “we” did, not for “what the other guys did, but I had to go with them, as is often the case. Everything is in order.
“If a player ever approached me and said, ‘Oh, we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, I have to leave,’ I would personally drive him to the other club.
“‘Come in the car, where do you want to go, I’ll drive you,’ I would say after taking the key.
“I’d never be able to comprehend something like that.
Because we didn’t make it into the Champions League, I would respond, ‘Oh, well, I have to go work in the Champions League.’
“If that was a mentality he accepted, according to Klopp, he would also be considering leaving.
“You cannot leave at this time because I am to blame for this mess, or whatever.
“With Mo, it is not the case at all, and no one else told me. They inquire as to whether they can take a longer vacation or something similar, but they never inquire as to whether they must return to work following their vacation.
“We didn’t talk about that, then.
“I just caught him grinning in the canteen. He isn’t in a bad mood, but I have no idea why since I didn’t ask him. All done.
“We avoided blaming one another.
All of that is good. We placed fifth because that is the best possible result if you don’t make the Champions League.
“Despite the fact that we didn’t meet everyone’s expectations or demands, we are still very united, and that is a good thing.
“Ten games ago, if you had asked me if that was possible, I would have said it wasn’t. Although the boys’ work is excellent, it is not flawless.
“We didn’t finish fifth because of the last 10 games; rather, it was due to our lack of consistency earlier on.
“The good thing about it is that even though we didn’t deliver what everyone wanted or expected, we are still really united.”
Liverpool will lose at least £50 million if they do not make the Champions League next season, but there may be short-term effects as well because top players may be less interested in competing in UEFA’s second-tier competition.
Since the Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s asking price became unaffordable, the club has already dropped out of the running for Bellingham, their top target, and this week, reports suggested that Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount would prefer to play for Manchester United.
Klopp is anxious to complete his work quickly and is optimistic that coming in fifth place won’t throw a wrench in their preparation.
“I doubt it, but we’ll see.
It’s always possible that things won’t proceed as quickly as you would like, so that is obviously a possibility. It’s not just conceivable; it’s probably likely, he continued, ahead of Southampton’s season-ending game on Sunday.
“The desire of the other club to let him go decreases as a player’s quality rises, and that is exactly what we are ready for.
“But there is a lengthy window, a lengthy preseason, and a lengthy intermission, so we have time. To be honest, I don’t think it will change the outcome if we sign players tomorrow or in six or seven weeks.
“In a perfect world, they’d all sign tomorrow, and I’d be able to tell them when to show up and start giving them the plans for the summer break, but that’s not likely to happen.”
