Back in 2016, Mauricio Pochettino made a statement while in charge of Tottenham, which Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is now proving right.
What’s the story?
Well, the Argentine was asked if the Premier League lacked an outstanding talent such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo in 2016.
Pochettino’s answer was an interesting one.
The 50-year-old told Marca: “That type of player does not appear every year. Real Madrid and Barcelona have them at the moment and nobody can take them away, but with the economic power that the clubs have the next Messi or Ronaldo will play in England. The talent will come to England, in fact it is already starting to happen.”
Now, Salah – who cost Liverpool just £34m – is proving the South American right, as are the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Kevin De Bruyne.
Nowadays, the Premier League boasts the best of the best – even the greatest coaches on the planet reside in England.
However, Salah is arguably the greatest player in the world right now, and he more than anyone is proving that Pochettino was correct.
Liverpool have the best in Mohamed Salah
Back when Pochettino made his claim, few players were able to reach the heights of Messi and Ronaldo.
It seemed to be an exclusive club, although Salah has since proven himself worthy of gatecrashing the pair since he joined Liverpool.
In his first season at Anfield, the Egypt international remarkably scored 44 goals in 52 games, while even providing 16 assists as well.
Ronaldo also scored 44 goals that season, whereas Messi won the Golden Shoe with 45 goals to his name.
Now, with Messi and Ronaldo on the decline, there’s no denying that Liverpool have the best player on the planet in Salah.
Pochettino hit the nail on the head, and with the vast resources on offer to Premier League clubs, things are likely to stay the same for the foreseeable future.
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