AS Roma admit they sold Mohamed Salah to Premier League side Liverpool for a bargain price

Mohamed Salah

AS Roma have grudgingly admitted they sold Mohamed Salah on the cheap but insist it was the right decision by insinuating nobody expected the record-breaking season he’s enjoyed with Liverpool.

Salah, 25, has scored 28 goals in 30 league appearances for the Reds this season, one away from Didier Drogba’s record to become the highest ever African scorer in a single league campaign. 

The Egypt international needs just four goals in the remaining seven games of the season to be the highest ever scorer in a single English top-flight campaign, with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo still holding the record of 31 goals for Manchester United in the 2007/08 season.

However, Roma sporting director Monchi claims the decision to sanction the £37.80m (R582m) fee to allow him a return to the Premier League was not a mistake – as they needed to balance the books and it was done before the world-record £200m (R3.23b) sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain

“To understand this sale you have to understand two things. Firstly, it was made before the Neymar effect which revolutionised the transfer market,” Monchi told reporters, as quoted by AS.

“We also had to sell him (Salah) before June 30 (because of Financial Fair Play constraints). Those who know a little about business know that it’s like having the Sword of Damocles over your head.

“So if we take these two elements into account I think that we made a correct sale,” he added. “But it’s amazing because he’s returned to a league where he wasn’t successful when he was at Chelsea.”

Salah has scored 36 goals in and registered 12 assists in 41 games across all competitions under the management of Jurgen Klopp this season. – kickoff.com