Jurgen Klopp believes Mohamed Salah is fully committed to Liverpool in the long term.
The Egyptian forward’s future at the club was cast into doubt towards the end of last year when he spoke in glowing terms about La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The speculation has not impacted on Salah’s output for Liverpool, as he leads the Premier League scoring charts with 17 goals so far this term, and the Reds boss feels his leading marksman is not looking for a route out of Anfield.
What did Klopp say about Salah?
"It's just a bit awkward when I have to praise my own players, which I like to do to be honest, but especially in Mo's case, the numbers speak for themselves," Klopp told the Liverpool Echo.
"Mo is not only a goalscorer, he has developed as a footballer as well. He is a very, very important player for us and hopefully he will be that for a very long time of course."
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What did Salah say?
The Egypt international raised eyebrows shortly before Christmas when he talked positively about the Spanish sides.
"I think Madrid and Barcelona are two top clubs,” Salah said. "Who knows what will happen in the future, but right now I am focused on winning the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool again."
The speculation went into overdrive in the weeks following Salah’s comments, with some reports suggesting the Reds were ready to cash in on an unhappy player.
Klopp has never shifted from his stance that the 28-year-old remains committed to the club and his form in front of goal has reinforced the belief that the player is happy at Anfield.