Former Hamburg chief Oliver Kreuzer has revealed how he had the chance to sign Mohamed Salah before he became ‘world class’ for Liverpool.
Salah is currently in the form of his life for Liverpool, with 17 goals and six assists in just 13 games in all competitions so far this season.
For many, he is currently the best player in the world, with a series of impressive performances and world-class goals only adding to that belief.
The Egyptian has hit remarkable heights since joining Liverpool in 2017, scoring 140 goals and registering 52 assists in 215 games for the club, as well as winning the Premier League and Champions League during his time there.
It’s been a rapid rise for the forward, who has long since dismissed the doubts that surrounded him after his failed move to Chelsea earlier in his career.
He had joined the Blues from Basel in Switzerland but failed to make the grade, instead moving to Italy where he established himself as a star and got his move to Liverpool.
He’s not looked back since, but it appears it could have been a very different story if Kreuzer and Hamburg had had the money to get their man.
“There were talks with his advisor at the time, Sascha Empacher, about a possible signing,” he told Sport 1.
“Mo Salah came to FC Basel from Egypt in 2012, to a club with which I also have a shared past and with which I still maintain the best contacts today.
“A signing was not realistic at the time, firstly because the financial situation at HSV didn’t allow it, and secondly because there were financially strong competitors.
“In any case, you can say that we had a good eye for a player who today embodies world-class.”