"Unfair on Mo to do that" – Arne Slot comments on Mohamed Salah getting compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has downplayed comparisons of Mohamed Salah to legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo following the former's outing in a 2-0 triumph against Manchester City.

Salah, 32, has emerged as the talk of the town owing to his sensational form for Liverpool this season. He has bagged a whopping 30 goals and provided 21 assists in just 38 overall games for his side so far this term.

Ahead of his team's Premier League home clash against Newcastle this Wednesday, Slot was asked if Salah is currently on the level of Messi and Ronaldo. He replied (h/t Liverpool Echo):

"So difficult to compare players. Unfair on Mo to do that. Mo has had some outstanding seasons and hopefully, he has many more but that would mean him signing a new contract!"

When asked if Salah can win the 2025 Ballon d'Or award, Slot responded:

"It's mostly about attackers but the last winner was a midfielder. Good thing Mo is in the discussion because that means he is doing well and that means we are doing well. In general, someone who wins the Ballon d'Or needs to win something as well. If we as a team win something, he has a far better chance to win the Ballon d'Or."

Sharing more thoughts on Salah's campaign, the Dutchman added:

"It would make his chance only bigger [if we win the Champions League] but the last one who won it didn't. It's not just about the amount of prizes you win, but most of ones who won the league or the Champions League. But football is always like this... need the team to win the individual prize. But Mo understands that."

Cristiano Ronaldo states he is better than long-time rival Lionel Messi and two other legends

Earlier this month, Cristiano Ronaldo boldly suggested he is the greatest footballer of all time. He told Spanish media outlet LaSexta TV (h/t Al Jazeera):

"One thing is taste. If you like [Lionel] Messi, Pele, [Diego] Maradona, I understand that and I respect that, but saying Ronaldo isn't complete? I'm the most complete. I haven't seen anybody better than me, and I say it from the heart."

Ronaldo, who turned 40 earlier this month, registered 701 goals and 223 assists in 949 overall appearances at club level while he was in Europe.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, netted 704 goals and laid out 338 assists in 853 club outings across competitions during his stellar time in Europe.