Liverpool Look 'Better' Without Star Forward On Field, Claims Former Reds Goalkeeper

England’s former goalkeeper David James has insisted Mohamed Salah is one-dimensional and Liverpool FC won’t miss him if he left.

Among the signings Jurgen Klopp has made since his arrival at Anfield in 2015, Salah is considered to be arguably the best, having netted 104 goals in 165 competitive appearances for Liverpool. Salah moved from Roma to Liverpool ahead of the 2017-18 season and has been Reds’ top scorer in each of his three seasons. On top of that, Salah recently became the fourth-fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goals.

Salah, who has scored 10 goals in the ongoing campaign, including eight in the Premier League, is currently out of action after contracting the coronavirus while on the international break.

Having represented clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester City during his playing days, James believes that Salah’s eight goals in the 2020-21 Premier League do not give away the full story, and Liverpool have looked "better" without the Egyptian forward on the field.

"I’ve said this before and it’s not that Mo Salah isn’t a great player, it’s just that Liverpool seems to look better without him on the field because there is more fluidity. When players can pop it around, it causes problems to defend. Players who pick the ball up and run with it, essentially you only have to stop them. That is what happens with Salah, even though he has scored eight goals [this season]," James told Stadium Astro.

While explaining, irrespective of the quality every player has a price, James added, "If the price is right, any player is going to be sold. It depends on what that price is. If Salah went to Man City, I don’t think that would be good business for Liverpool. If he went to a different league and a different country, it would make more sense. I don’t think Liverpool are dependent on Salah and that’s a good thing for Jurgen Klopp. However, he would still need replacing. I don’t think [Salah]’s indispensable."

After nine matches in the 2020-21 Premier League, Liverpool are placed second in the table, having registered six wins, two draws, and a loss. With many players sidelined due to injuries, Klopp will be more than happy to welcome Salah back to his team as the 28-year-old forward has returned with his first negative test for COVID-19.