Roma Sporting Director Monchi has said that he was forced to sell forward Mohamed Salah to Liverpool last season due to UEFA constraints.
Salah signed for the Reds last summer for an initial fee of €42m that could eventually rise up to €50m with add-ons.
The Egyptian has scored 43 goals in 47 games this season and scored twice in Liverpool’s 5-2 win over his former side in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Anfield on Tuesday.
Monchi said that Roma were forced to sell Salah due to financial fair play regulations and that the club’s accounts were under strict UEFA controls.
“It’s true, I sold Salah, but I was forced by UEFA’s constraints,” Monchi told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
“The explanation is that last summer, we were forced to sell by June 30. If we hadn’t, we wouldn’t be in the Champions League semi-finals.
“Our accounts were under strict UEFA controls, and when I arrived there was an offer of 30m for Salah, but then with bonuses we went up to 50m.
“In short, we did the best we could at that moment. I didn’t expect the market to go crazy after that, even though Salah is having a fantastic season, so congratulations to Liverpool for getting the deal done.”
Meanwhile Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed Salah’s performance as outstanding but added that if he wants to be considered as the best player in the world he needs to replicate that sort of production over an extended period of time.
“Look, you always create stories,” the Liverpool manager replied when asked whether he considered Salah better than Messi and Ronaldo. “If you think he’s the best in the world, write it or say it.
“He is in outstanding good shape, world class shape, that’s 100 per cent. That’s good. To be the best in the world you need to do that over a longer period I think.
“There are a few others who are not too bad. He is a fantastic player. I’m really happy.”
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