Jurgen Klopp reveals what Liverpool new boy Mohamed Salah did to leave him saying 'what the f***!'
The German wanted to sign him while Borussia Dortmund manager before he moved to Chelsea
![](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/YorkXGaD/poster.jpg?width=720)
Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
![Louise Thomas](https://static.independent.co.uk/static-assets/support-us/louise-thomas.png)
Louise Thomas
Editor
Jurgen Klopp has recalled the time that new Liverpool signing Mohamed Salah left him asking “what the f**k” while he was still manager of Borussia Dortmund.
Salah became the Reds’ club-record signing this month when he joined from Roma for an initial £35m.
The Egyptian lit up Serie A last season with the Giallorossi after having a similarly successful spell at Fiorentina.
However, it is his ill-fated time with Chelsea which is he know for in the Premier League after he made only 19 appearances, but Klopp insists that move was “too soon” for the winger and pointed to how other top players have struggled at Stamford Bridge.
“A lot of players have shown it is quite easy to struggle at Chelsea, [Kevin] De Bruyne is one,” Klopp said. “The only thing that we really ignored was what he did at Chelsea.
“He is a left footed player and we don’t have too many of them in the team. It all makes him really valuable for us.
“I’m happy for the moment. He needs to learn a lot. We brought him into the game against Wigan just to show him. That was pretty much all. Now we have to start working with him, the physical part and the technical part.”
It was Salah’s spell at Basel which brought him to the attention of Chelsea – and Borussia Dortmund – and klopp remembers his first thoughts when the 25-year-old came up against him.
"We played against him when he was at Basel and we didn’t know him,” Klopp added. “We played with Dortmund against him and it was ‘what the f***!’
“It was unbelievable. The moment I said ‘let’s go for him’ he was already at Chelsea.
“Then he struggled at Chelsea because it was too early. Then he went to Fiorentina and then Roma. The question is ‘what did you not see in him?’ because he played all inclusive football.
“He was quick, he played a lot of games, he created chances and scored goals by himself."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments