Rodrygo’s Mo Salah comment could backfire if he completes Liverpool transfer

2 days ago 42

Rodrygo's previous jibes at Mohamed Salah might not sit well with the Liverpool squad if the Reds manage to secure a deal for the Real Madrid talent.

The Brazilian forward is reportedly on the radar of both the Premier League champions and Arsenal following a season where his game time slightly diminished, partly due to Kylian Mbappe's arrival at Madrid.

With an £86million valuation placed on him by the Spanish club, there's rampant speculation about his next move. He's been suggested as a potential successor to Luis Diaz at Anfield, with the Colombian winger reportedly keen on a fresh challenge and Bayern Munich showing interest in the 28-year-old.

Bringing in the Brazilian would be a coup for Arne Slot - who just signed Hugo Ekitike - but some fences may need mending if Rodrygo joins Liverpool after he previously made comments about Salah in an interview.

Back in 2018, Salah was heartbroken after being substituted only 30 minutes into the Champions League final against Madrid due to a shoulder injury caused by Sergio Ramos.

Madrid clinched that match 3-1, and four years on, the teams clashed again in the European final. After Madrid ousted Manchester City in the semi-finals, Salah took to social media, posting on X: "We have a score to settle," reports the Mirror.

Rodrygo speaking on a podcast

Rodrygo admitted his Real Madrid team-mates wanted to make fun of the Liverpool forward

Salah reaffirmed his desire for retribution after being crowned the FWA Footballer of the Year, stating: "Yeah, I think it's revenge time." However, despite his determination, Liverpool fell short once more, suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat with Vinicius Jr netting the decisive goal.

Rodrygo, who entered the match in the 93rd minute, didn't appreciate Salah's pre-match talk of vengeance. He had the last chuckle, revealing on a podcast how he and his team-mates were eager to rib the Liverpool forward post-victory.

On Podpah's YouTube channel, Rodrygo said: "When a guy provokes, sometimes you just want to win so you can make fun of them. In training we used to say 'come Salah, come Salah'... in our head it was already 'we have to win to then make fun of Salah'."

With the tight-knit nature of the Liverpool team, it's uncertain if Rodrygo's remarks might stir up any discord should he secure a transfer to Anfield in the coming summer.

Sergio Ramos clashes with Mohamed Salah in the 2018 Champions League final

Mohamed Salah suffered a serious shoulder injury and was forced off in the 2018 Champions League final

Although Rodrygo's role at Madrid saw a slight decrease under Carlo Ancelotti last season, Jude Bellingham didn't hesitate to laud the Brazilian winger earlier this year, lavishing him with compliments.

In a conversation with CBS Sports earlier this year, the England midfielder expressed: "Rodrygo is so underrated. For me, he's probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad.

"The things he can do with the football. We'll be messing around, and he'll flick the ball up somehow, and you're thinking, 'How'd he do that?' I'm twisting my ankles if I try that."

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