ESPN
Jan 14, 2025, 09:09 AM ET
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has said he hopes Mohamed Salah stays at the club, labelling him the best striker they have had in modern times.
Salah's contract is set to expire at the end of the season with the 32-year-old Egypt international saying earlier in January he was "far away" from a deal being reached.
When asked about the situation, Klopp told reporters: "I hope he stays. [He's] the biggest striker LFC had in the modern times. Obviously there were other really good strikers, but fantastic player, fantastic human being, outstanding athlete, best ambassador your country [Egypt] could have.
"Fantastic in all departments, so I hope he will stay at Liverpool."
Klopp was in charge at Anfield when Salah arrived from Roma in June 2017. Salah made an immediate impact, scoring 44 goals in 52 games in all competitions in his first season on Merseyside.
The pair went on to win multiple trophies together, including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.
In January 2024, Klopp announced he would leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season, before he announced his return to football in October as Red Bull's global head of soccer.
Klopp will not be just a token celebrity in his new post but will try to add value to the organisation, he said on Tuesday.
"It's pretty much what I wanted to do. I finished seven months ago at Liverpool. I did that consciously," he said. "A few months after that the opportunity came up. I don't want to be a passenger or a prominent person in the room. I really want to put some value on it."
Klopp will not be involved in the day-to-day operations but act as advisor for the Red Bull-owned clubs in Germany, United States, Brazil, Japan and Austria while also supporting the organisation's global scouting operation. He will also contribute to the training and development of coaches.
"I always wanted to try to learn new stuff and I felt immediately that its exactly what I want to do. It's a different role."
Klopp said he no longer wanted to work as a coach, having done it for more than 20 years, and jumped at this challenge.
"I did not want to do that anymore. I wanted to get a new start and this is an opportunity. To add value. How it will look we will see. There is not one plan that works for all teams. We want to be the best we can be. In each department, in each club."
Red Bull owns clubs on different continents and also has a stake in second division club Paris FC which Klopp visited days ago.
"I see myself as an advisor and a good advisor is part of the decision," Klopp said. "I am the one with the most experience [within the organisation]. It's a pretty young team so we are ready to go. Improve ourselves and by doing that improving the people around us."
