According to a former Barcelona president, Lionel Messi was the reason why the Blaugrana did not sign Salah
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed why the Catalan giants never made a serious move for Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah despite admiring the Egyptian superstar during his time at Anfield.
Bartomeu admitted Barcelona considered signing Salah, but the club’s iconic attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez ultimately made such a transfer impossible.
Bartomeu explains why Salah never joined Barcelona
Salah established himself as one of the world’s finest forwards during his glittering spell at Liverpool, breaking records and helping the Reds win major honours.
According to Bartomeu, Barcelona also recognised the Egyptian’s extraordinary talent and viewed him as one of the elite players in world football.
“When I was president of Barcelona, it was essential for the club to seek to sign the world’s best players, and Mohamed Salah was a legendary player, and he delivered wonderful levels with Liverpool and achieved many records,” Bartomeu said.
However, he admitted the presence of Messi, Neymar and Suarez meant there was simply no room for another world-class attacker.
“Mohamed Salah is a different player and of a high calibre, and he managed to create his own school within Liverpool, but it was difficult to sign him in that period because of the presence of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.”
Barcelona’s famous attacking trio enjoyed enormous success together, winning multiple domestic trophies and the UEFA Champions League while becoming one of the most feared front threes in football history.
Egyptian wonderkid earns Bartomeu’s praise
Bartomeu also used the opportunity to praise Egyptian youngster Hamza Abdelkarim, who recently made a strong impression during Barcelona’s pre-season programme.
The teenager announced himself with two goals on his debut against Birmingham City before Barcelona eventually lost on penalties.
The former club president believes Abdelkarim has the qualities to become an important player for the Blaugrana in the years ahead.
“Hamza Abdelkarim has great talent, and he is an important player for the club in the future, and he also has a distinctive mentality that helps him develop and deliver his best over the coming period,” Bartomeu added.
With Abdelkarim continuing to impress, Barcelona will hope the promising youngster can follow in the footsteps of the club’s previous attacking stars and establish himself as a key figure at the Camp Nou.