Mohamed Salah may now be 32, but the Liverpool forward is showing no signs of slowing down - in fact, he looks revitalised under new manager Arne Slot.
With 10 goals and 10 assists in just 17 games in all competitions at the start of the 2024/25, Salah is currently on top form - so much so, that FourFourTwo ranked him as the best right winger the world right now.
Now into his eighth season at Anfield, Salah has won the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions, twice been named the PFA Player of the Year and has finished fifth in the Ballon d'Or on multiple occasions. That hasn't stopped one Premier League pundit from suggesting that Salah isn't world class, however.
Mohamed Salah labelled 'not world-class'
According to ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney, Salah's ability is undoubted but his playing style is not as easy-on-the-eye as some of the world's best other forwards.
"My argument has always been that I just don’t think he’s world class," Deeney said on Talksport. "But world class is just a different opinion, what I think of world class is would I want my kids to play like that player? That's what I think is world class.
“If I was asking my kids who want to be forwards, I would be saying I would like them to look at what Vinicius Jr does as opposed to Mohamed Salah.
"His goals that he [Salah] scores, he scores an unbelievable amount of goals, he's highly effective, but that’s just my opinion. He's probably going to turn around and say, 'Who the f*** is Troy?,' and fair play to him, but that's my opinion."
Though Salah has started the new season exceptionally, there are still question marks over his future. Now into the final year of his contract, the Egyptian could depart the club in the summer for free.
Liverpool fans are confident that he'll put pen to paper on a new deal, but wages could prove a sticking point and he's freee to speak to clubs outside of England from January.
