Klopp Thinks Salah Can Play Until 40, and He Might Actually Be Right

Jurgen Klopp has never been one to undersell a compliment, but his latest take on Mohamed Salah might just be his most generous yet. Speaking ahead of Saturday's Liverpool Legends vs Borussia Dortmund Legends charity match at Anfield, the former Reds boss declared that Salah could carry on playing professional football until the age of 40. That is six or seven more years of defenders having nightmares about that left foot.

Whether this is a genuine tactical assessment or the football equivalent of telling your mate they look great after a breakup, it is worth examining. Because when the man who signed Salah talks about his longevity, people tend to listen.

A Partnership That Rewrote the Record Books

Klopp brought Salah to Anfield from Roma in 2017 for approximately £36.9 million, a fee that now looks like highway robbery. Together, they won the lot: a Premier League title, the Champions League, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. If you had told Liverpool fans in 2017 that their new signing would become the club's third-highest scorer of all time, most would have politely asked what you were drinking.

Yet here we are. Salah has since added a second Premier League title under Arne Slot, bringing his total haul at Anfield to something genuinely historic.

The Numbers Do Not Lie

With 255 goals for Liverpool, Salah sits third on the club's all-time scoring charts. Only Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285) are ahead of him. His tally includes 181 Premier League goals and 45 in the Champions League, numbers that firmly place him among the finest forwards the English game has ever seen.

Next season will be the first since 2016 that Liverpool start a campaign without Salah in their ranks. Let that sink in. An entire generation of supporters has grown up watching him cut in from the right and curl the ball into the far corner. It is practically muscle memory at this point.

Can He Really Play Until 40?

Here is where it gets interesting. At 33, Salah remains remarkably fit and devastatingly effective. The modern game is littered with examples of players extending their careers well into their late thirties. Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, and Robert Lewandowski have all proven that elite professionalism can bend the ageing curve.

Salah's game has always relied on more than just raw speed. His positioning, decision-making, and that almost supernatural ability to find space in the box are qualities that do not necessarily fade with age. If he maintains his fitness and finds the right environment, Klopp's prediction is not as far-fetched as it might sound.

A Bittersweet Exit

Of course, the elephant in the room is the manner of Salah's departure. His relationship with current manager Arne Slot reportedly broke down earlier in the season, with Salah publicly claiming the club made him a scapegoat following a 3-3 draw at Leeds in December. He described his relationship with Slot as nonexistent, which is about as diplomatic as a red card tackle.

Salah will leave on a free transfer, with Saudi Arabia widely reported as his most likely destination. His final appearance at Anfield is set for 24 May against Brentford on the last day of the Premier League season. Tissues will be required.

The Verdict

Klopp's prediction might sound like the warm words of a former manager still clearly fond of his star player. But strip away the sentimentality and the logic holds up. Salah at 40 might not be the same terrifying force he is today, but a diminished version of the Egyptian King is still better than most. Whether in Saudi Arabia, MLS, or some unexpected return to European football, do not bet against him proving Klopp right.

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