Mohamed Salah's first stint in English football will forever be regarded as a failure. Now, the Egyptian player's been given a second chance after Liverpool spent £34 million (about $44 million) bringing Salah from Italian team Roma to Anfield in Jurgen Klopp's first major signing of the summer.
English football had already seen the 25-year-old in action, after two years as a Chelsea player. But Salah made just 13 appearances for Jose Mourinho's team, on loan to both Fiorentina and Roma before signing for the latter permanently.
At Stamford Bridge, Salah's fleeting appearances saw him play on both flanks, a role that Klopp also looks likely to give him at Anfield. The German manager's attack is renowned for its fluid movement, interchanging, causing confusion to pierce the opposition's defense.
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Rigidness doesn't exist in a Klopp team. When Liverpool lined up on Wednesday at the Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong, Salah began on the right hand side of the attack, with Roberto Firmino on the left and Daniel Sturridge leading the line.
Related: Is This How Jurgen Klopp's New-Look Liverpool Team Will Line Up Next Season?
Behind them, Adam Lallana was set up in a midfield three with Jordan Henderson and Ben Woodburn, but Lallana , as he frequently did last season to good effect, flowed into the attack. Firmino cut in from the left and broke forward, while Sturridge would fall back. And, of course, Salah cut in from the right onto his favored left foot.
This is how the Egyptian will likely be deployed by Klopp next season, capable of taking the ball to the byline while also troubling defenses by pulling inside. The right hand side of the attack was largely held by Sadio Mane last season, Liverpool's best player, so we are likely to see the two men interchange in attack.
Klopp will hope this will ease him into life back in the Premier League and recreate the goal-scoring form he enjoyed in Italy. Salah scored 14 goals while on loan, and then 15 last season for Roma. With Premier League prices so inflated, Salah could be the bargain of the summer.
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