Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers: We tracked Salah for months

Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool have had yet another player stolen from their grasp as Chelsea made their move for Basel winger Mohamed Salah. The same had happened with Brazilian Willian in the summer transfer window.

Manager Brendan Rodgers signed Sturridge and Coutinho at the same time last year and both of them had an immediate impact on the club. Rodgers is looking for similar signings this window and isn’t looking for any squad players.

Rodgers said in an interview with talkSPORT, “January is a very difficult market. It is hard to bring in players that can improve the team, especially in this window.

“This is a brilliant club, and we try to get players in for the now, we need players who can come in now and help us.

“I’d rather wait and look at our young players than bring in one or two squad players.”

He was disappointed that he could not lure Salah and said: “I know the club has been working very hard to get players in. I’ll leave that to them and see how they get on,”

“The young guy is a good player. We have tracked him for a number of months, the club has been watching him and I have been to watch him.

“It is one where the agent of the player and the clubs were talking but if the deal can’t be done, the deal can’t be done.

“He’s a boy that is a talent. He is 21 years of age and people saw his qualities in the games against Chelsea and Tottenham in Europe, but you need to have that list (of targets) because if it doesn’t work out then you are hoping there are one or two others.”