"Got to be at the top of the list" - Ben Foster believes PL star deserves to be top Ballon d'Or candidate despite not being 'technically perfect'

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has recently weighed in on Mohamed Salah's chances to win the coveted Ballon d'Or this year. The Egyptian superstar is spearheading Liverpool's domestic and European campaign as they look to win multiple silverware at the end of this season.

Salah has already racked up 30 goals and 21 assists in 38 games for Liverpool across competitions this season. This equates to an average of 63.13 minutes per goal contribution. His contributions have helped the Merseysiders become table-toppers in both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League league stage.

Ben Foster opined on Mohamed Salah's chances of securing the Ballon d'Or on his Fozcast podcast. According to the two-time Premier League champion, Salah can win it if Liverpool succeed this season. However, he admitted that he doesn't find Salah's gameplay the easiest to watch at times.

"Mo Salah is so strong. I know there's a lot of people who say technically he might not be absolutely perfect but who cares?" Foster said. "If Liverpool go on to become Champions League finalists and they're winning the Premier League, he has got to be at the top of the [Ballon d'Or ] list."

Foster added:

"He's not technically perfect, but with everything else he is 10 out of 10. Even when he's scruffy with his finishes, it still goes in the back of the net."

Mohamed Salah has consistently been in the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or ranking in the last few years. His best performance so far has been in the years 2019 and 2022, when he stood fifth.

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Jamie Carragher claims Mohamed Salah can surpass Steven Gerrard's legacy at Liverpool if he wins PFA Player of the Year or Ballon d'Or

Liverpool FC v Brentford FC - Premier League - Source: Getty

In a discussion on The Overlap, Jamie Carragher opined that Mohamed Salah could leave a bigger legacy at Liverpool than the legendary Steven Gerrard. This is if he wins the Ballon d'Or or another PFA Player of the Year award.

Carragher said about the former Chelsea man (via Rousing the KOP):

"Great players come and I didn’t think ‘How could anyone do more than Stevie?’ he spent his whole career at the club, what happened in Istanbul and the cup final a year later. But Salah is going to get Player of the Year. I don’t think anyone has won Player of the Year three times, and if he wins the Ballon d’Or as well."

He added:

“I am thinking, ‘I hope Stevie is not watching,’ even though he is my man in football and I have played with him. If someone argued that Salah was Liverpool’s number one player, if he wins the Ballon d’Or or another PFA Player of the Year, you can’t argue against it. The things he could achieve are mind-blowing.”

Salah joined the Merseysiders from AS Roma in the summer of 2017 for a reported transfer fee of €42 million. The 32-year-old has since played 387 games for the club across competitions, recording 241 goals and 109 assists. He has also won the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the Premier League, the UEFA Supercup, and the FA Cup among others with Liverpool.