Chris Sutton explains why ‘extraordinary’ star is Liverpool’s greatest ever player and it’s not Steven Gerrard

The end of an era at Liverpool is dawning and the club are preparing to be without Mohamed Salah after what has been one of the most successful eras at the club. The Egyptian is heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia after Al-Ittihad came in with huge money offers for him during the summer.

Jurgen Klopp managed to keep hold of his star player but this isn’t the end of the Pro League’s pursuit. Fans have conceded it is likely Salah will move on next summer, when he will have just one year left on his current contract. If he does get his move to Saudi Arabia, it will close the curtain on a magical seven-year tenure at Anfield.

Since his arrival on Merseyside, Salah has undoubtedly been one of Liverpool’s most important players. He signed from Roma in 2017 for £34.3 million, and the fact Al-Ittihad offered in excess of £150 million for him six years later at 31 years of age, speaks volumes about how much he is still widely regarded as one of the best in the world.

Indeed, his impact at Liverpool has been astronomical and whenever he eventually departs the club, he will leave behind an incredible legacy. A legacy that has been argued surpassed that of Steven Gerrard.

Pundit and commentator Chris Sutton believes that despite how much Gerrard gave to his boyhood club, Salah has been the more influential figure on paper.

“Steven Gerrard is the one that — the fact that we’re even having this debate shows what Salah has done in seven years... Steven carried the club for years. Salah since he’s come in I just think he’s just been extraordinary,” Sutton wrote for Mail Sport. “His durability — there’s been 237 Premier League games since he arrived, and he’s played in 227 of them. Then there’s the goals — he’s scored 194.

“The comparison with Steven Gerrard, who never won the Premier League, the great player that he was. I think it would be very difficult to argue that Mo Salah in the Premier League era isn’t Liverpool’s greatest ever player.”