Rodrygo's sly comment at Mo Salah could backfire as Liverpool interested in £80m star
Rodrygo's past digs at Mohamed Salah may not be received well by the Liverpool dressing room should the Reds clinch a move for the Real Madrid star. The Brazilian is reportedly subject to interest from the Premier League champions and Arsenal after a season where his involvement on the pitch declined due to the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.
With the Spanish giants said to have placed a price tag of £86million on the winger, speculation surrounding his future is strife. He's been touted as a potential replacement for Luis Diaz at Anfield with the Colombian who is eager for a new challenge, as Bayern Munich are keen to sign the 28-year-old.
While the Brazilian would certainly prove to be an impressive addition for Arne Slot - who acquired Hugo Ekitike on Wednesday - amends may need to be made if a deal comes to fruition after he previously took aim at Salah in an interview.
It was in 2018 when the Egyptian superstar was left devastated after being forced off after 30 minutes in the Champions League final against Madrid when suffering an shoulder injury via a foul from Sergio Ramos.
Madrid went on to win the match 3-1 and four years later, the two clubs met again in the European final. Salah took to social media after the Spanish side knocked out Manchester City in the semi-finals as he wrote on X: "We have a score to settle."
Salah doubled down on his need for vengeance after he was named the FWA Footballer of the Year award, where he added: "Yeah, I think it's revenge time." Despite his motivations, Liverpool came up short once again, narrowly losing 1-0 with Vinicius Jr scoring the only goal in the game.
Rodrygo - who came on in the 93rd minute of the match - didn't take too kindly to Salah's talk of revenge before their clash. He enjoyed the last laugh after discussing his team-mates' desire to make fun of the Liverpool winger in a podcast.
Speaking on Podpah's YouTube channel, he said: "When a guy provokes, sometimes you just want to win so you can make fun of them. In training we used to say 'come Salah, come Salah'… in our head it was already 'we have to win to then make fun of Salah'."
Given the close-knit bond that exists within the Liverpool squad, it remains to be seen whether Rodrygo's comments could create tension if a move to Anfield materialises this summer.
While the Brazilian's importance at Madrid dwindled slightly last season under Carlo Ancelotti, Jude Bellingham made sure to give the winger his flowers earlier this year by showering praise on him.
Speaking to CBS Sports earlier this year, the England midfielder said: "Rodrygo is so underrated. For me, he's probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad. The things he can do with the football. We'll be messing around, and he'll flick the ball up somehow, and you're thinking, 'How'd he do that?' I'm twisting my ankles if I try that."
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