With a lot of the 2024-25 season behind us, a number of names are rising as potential Ballon d’Or candidates, with Mohamed Salah among the many frontrunners. Liverpool coach Arne Slot just lately mentioned what Salah must do to safe the celebrated award.
At 32 years previous and within the closing yr of his contract, Salah has continued to show himself as one of many world’s high gamers, persistently breaking goal-scoring data. When requested about Salah’s Ballon d’Or possibilities, Slot praised his type, emphasizing the significance of sustaining it:
“It’s nice that Mo is within the (Ballon d’Or) dialogue as a result of it means he’s performing nicely, and it means we’re doing nicely as a crew,” Slot stated throughout a press convention forward of Liverpool’s recreation in opposition to Tottenham Hotspur. “However to remain within the dialogue, he must proceed delivering the identical performances he’s had over the past seven or eight months.”
Regardless of Salah’s spectacular numbers, Slot made it clear that successful the Ballon d’Or requires extra than simply particular person brilliance. “I feel generally, somebody that wins the Ballon d’Or must win one thing as nicely. So it’s an awesome problem in entrance of us, but additionally in entrance of him,” stated the coach.
Slot’s level holds weight, as the newest Ballon d’Or winner emerged not simply from distinctive particular person performances however from main trophies, such because the Champions League or worldwide cups. Liverpool, with an 11-point lead within the Premier League and robust hopes within the Champions League, is in a superb place for each Salah and the coach to focus on collective success.
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In Europe’s high 5 leagues, Salah is main the cost. Within the 2024-25 season, the Egyptian ahead has scored 30 objectives and registered 21 assists. His closest competitor, Harry Kane, follows with 27 objectives.
Salah’s future nonetheless within the air
As Salah continues to take pleasure in his second-best season when it comes to objective contributions at Liverpool—second solely to his debut 2016-17 marketing campaign, the place he netted 44 objectives and recorded 14 assists—his contract state of affairs stays unsure.
Slot was requested in regards to the challenges of retaining Salah given his present type, and he responded: “You may look it each methods. You may say the higher he does, the dearer he would possibly turn out to be. And if he did actually badly, we might have second ideas on extending his contract. So I feel for everybody, it’s for the very best that he brings within the performances he’s doing now.”
Experiences from England counsel Salah is prone to renew his contract with Liverpool, although curiosity from Saudi Arabia may complicate negotiations. Within the meantime, the Egyptian star is targeted on having a record-breaking season and doubtlessly changing into the second African participant ever to win the Ballon d’Or.