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Liverpool are right to splash £35million on 'tremendous' Mohamed Salah, says an Egyptian football expert.

Salah is in the UK ready to complete his switch to Anfield after the Reds decided to fork out the cash required to prise the winger away from Roma.

He flew into London from Cairo on Tuesday evening where he was expected to undergo a medical before putting pen to paper to finalise the move.

Jurgen Klopp's side are back in the Champions League after their fourth-placed finish last term, but will have to play a qualifier to reach the group stage.

Our colleagues at the Liverpool Echo spoke to Marwan Ahmed, a journalist for Egyptian site KingFut, to get the lowdown on Salah.

Is Mohamed Salah worth the money Liverpool are paying?

In my opinion Salah was one of the best players in Serie A last season. His form for Roma was tremendous.

It was always going to cost Liverpool a lot to sign him because Roma wanted to make as much as possible.

English clubs do tend to over-spend on players but I believe Salah is worth breaking the bank for. I think it’s a deal that works well for everyone.

If he continues to develop like he has done in recent years then he will help Liverpool achieve great things.

(Image: REUTERS)

What would you say are his main strengths?

The obvious one is his speed. I haven’t seen a player as quick as him. He plays on the shoulder of opposition defenders.

If you put the ball in the right place in behind teams then it’s impossible for them to catch him. The national team and Roma have both used that tactic very well.

His right foot is almost non existent but you don’t notice until there’s a situation where he has to use it!

His finishing has improved a lot. Last season he was one of only eight players in Europe who got into double figures for both goals and assists.

That’s even more impressive when you think he missed a month-and-a-half of the season due to the Africa Cup of Nations. He had a really tough schedule.

He got all the way to the final with Egypt and then went straight back to doing very well in Italy. He put in so much hard work and finished with 19 goals for Roma.

What kind of profile does Salah have in Egypt?

He’s an icon here. He’s the best player Egypt have got. Former Egyptian player Mido played for some big clubs - Marseille, Roma and Tottenham - but this is on a different level. To go from Roma to Liverpool is much bigger.

Salah has the potential to be the greatest player in Egypt’s history. The hope is that by the end of his career he will have made many records with the goals he’s scored and the trophies he’s won.

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There’s a huge amount of interest in this deal - it’s a big topic in the newspapers, on the TV and on social media. The Liverpool fans in this country are proud and delighted.

There are a lot of Manchester United fans here and it will be a difficult one for them when it comes to the games against Liverpool next season. Do they support their club or the Egyptian player?

Liverpool will get a lot more attention here now. The club will certainly gain financially in terms of marketing.

Was his potential clear at a young age?

We've seen other talents in Egypt with much higher potential at a young age.

Salah was good but there was nothing to suggest he would be as good as he is now. No-one predicted he would reach this level.

The reason why it worked out for Salah and not for others is down to mindset. That's what gives Salah the edge.

When Basel signed him some people questioned how he had got that move but he performed really well there. Then people said: ‘Okay, he deserved that.’

He kept his head down at Basel and concentrated on his football. It didn’t go to his head. He didn’t get distracted by things off the field, like money or girls, like Egyptian players had in the past.

He comes from a less fortunate background and has worked hard for what he’s got. He deserves what’s happened for the dedication and commitment he’s shown.

(Image: AFP)

What went wrong for Salah at Chelsea?

He didn’t get a fair chance at Chelsea to show what he can do. It’s never easy joining a club midway through the season and that was his first big move.

Maybe it came too soon for him. He would have been better off spending another year at Basel or going somewhere else.

I’m sure he will be given a much better chance at Liverpool. It was a huge mistake by Liverpool not signing Salah back in 2014. Now they have ended up paying three times that amount.

They are putting right a mistake. It happens in football. He’s a much better player now. He’s stronger physically and more tactically aware. He’s worked with different coaches and different styles and learned a lot.

Where do you see him playing in this Liverpool team?

(Image: Andrew Powell)

Right wing. That’s his best position. I can see Sadio Mane being moved across to the left.

Salah has already played at Champions League level and in three European leagues. He has good experience and at the age of 25 he’s only going to get better.

He’s outstanding and could go on to become a world beater.

He wanted this move to Liverpool to happen a long time ago. Now it’s finally happening, there’s great excitement.

All the people in his hometown of Basyoun are so happy for him. On the day he signs for Liverpool there will be a big celebration.