LONDON: Roma sporting director Monchi has conceded that Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah had been sold on the cheap to Liverpool for €40 million ($49 million) before “the Neymar effect” transformed the market.
“To understand this sale you have to understand two things. Firstly, it was made before the Neymar effect which revolutionized the transfer market,” Monchi said.
Brazilian striker Neymar’s world record €222 million move from Barcelona to Paris St.Germain last August started a chain reaction. French forward Ousmane Dembele subsequently moved from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona in a deal worth €145 million, with Brazilian Philippe Coutinho moving to Barcelona from Liverpool for €160 million in January.
“We also had to sell him (Salah) before June 30 (because of Financial Fair Play constraints),” Monchi continued.
“Those who know a little about business know that it’s like having the Sword of Damocles over your head.”
“So if we take these two elements into account I think that we made a correct sale.
“Now he’s had a incredible season and with the effect of Neymar, Coutinho, Dembele, his value is without a doubt much more,” added the former Sevilla sporting director.
Salah, 25, is the top scorer in the Premier League with 28 goals in 30 matches. In total he has scored 36 in all competitions during his first season at Liverpool.
“He’s very strong,” continued Monchi. “But it’s amazing because he’s returned to a league where he wasn’t successful when he was at Chelsea.
“He found a coach, teammates who trust him, a team that suits him well, which corresponds to his style of play.”
Roma boss admits Mohamed Salah was ‘sold on the cheap’
Roma boss admits Mohamed Salah was ‘sold on the cheap’
Rampant Sabalenka sweeps past Jovic into Australian Open semifinals
MELBOURNE: Relentless top seed Aryna Sabalenka muscled past American teenager Iva Jovic and into the Australian Open semifinals Tuesday to accelerate her bid for a third Melbourne title.
The Belarusian powered home 6-3, 6-0 in blazing heat to set up a clash with either third seed Coco Gauff or 12th seed Elina Svitolina.
It booked the 27-year-old a 14th career Grand Slam semifinal and fourth in a row at the season-opening major.
Sabalenka has won twice in Melbourne, in 2023 and 2024, and seemed destined for another crown last year but was upset in the final by Madison Keys.
Keys’ title defense is over, beaten in the fourth round by Jessica Pegula.
“These teenagers have been testing me in the last couple of rounds,” said Sabalenka, who is on a 10-match win streak after victory at the lead-up Brisbane International.
“It was a tough match. Don’t look at the score, it wasn’t easy at all. She played incredible tennis. Pushed me to to one step better level. And I’m super happy with the win.”
The match was played under an open roof on Rod Laver Arena with the tournament Heat Stress Scale yet to reach the level where it could be closed.
Temperatures are forecast to hit a blistering 45C with a peak of 38C reached during the match.
Defeat brought an end to a breakthrough tournament for 18-year-old Jovic, the youngest player in the women’s top 100 and seeded 29.
She stunned seventh seed and two-time Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini and blitzed past experienced Yulia Putintseva for the loss of just one game to announce herself to the world.
But Sabalenka was a bridge too far.
The world number one safely held serve to lay down a marker, blasting an ace to set up game point and an unreturnable serve to win it.
Jovic made some early errors and sent the ball long on break point to surrender her serve and fall 2-0 behind.
Sabalenka held to pile on the pressure before Jovic fended off a break point on her next serve to get on the scoreboard.
But despite some long rallies as she got into the match and three break points as Sabalenka served for the set, the top seed’s brute force proved too much.
Sabalenka then broke her immediately to assert control of set two and Jovic was spent, with another break for 3-0 then a double fault to slump 5-0 down, signalling the end.
