Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush has thrown his support behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, arguing that the forward deserves to be in the mix for the Ballon d’Or. The coveted individual accolade recognises the successes of a player, typically during a season laden with silverware.
Salah was once the odd-on favourite while Liverpool were dominating the Premier League and hunting trophies in the Champions League and Carabao Cup. But after Liverpool’s exit from the top European competition by Paris Saint-Germain, attention shifted to Raphinha as the favoured candidate, following his standout performances with Barcelona both domestically and in the tournament.
The 32-year-old leads the Premier League in both goals and assists, aiming to clinch these achievements in Liverpool’s concluding Premier League battles against Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace.
Salah clinched an overwhelming 90 percent of votes to secure the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award, outpacing teammate Virgil van Dijk who finished runner-up.
In the run-up to Manchester City’s FA Cup final clash with Palace on Saturday, Marmoush had nothing but praise for his fellow Egyptian, promoting Salah’s case for consideration of the prestigious award.
“He’s a top player with top qualities, he’s a top professional as well,” Marmoush remarked. “He shows it every day on the pitch, it’s always nice to see a player from your country show his quality and represent the country.
“Now I’m here, I’m trying to create my own story. It’s amazing to see, this season he has been unbelievable. I think yes, he should be yeah [in the Ballon d’Or conversation].”
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As Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan gear up for the Champions League final, Ousmane Dembele is being tipped as a potential Ballon d’Or candidate after his stellar performances in the French capital.
Raphinha was on the cusp of leading Barcelona to the final, which would have thrust him into Ballon d’Or contention, but they faced a heartbreaking loss in Italy.
Back in March, Owen Hargreaves expressed his belief that Salah was at the forefront of the Ballon d’Or race, yet Raphinha’s talents were impossible to ignore.
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“You can argue that with his numbers this season, [Raphinha’s] in contention for the Ballon d’Or,” he commented on TNT Sports.
“His finishing has been out of this world; he’s captain of the club and he’s been an absolute revelation. I think currently you would say he might be in the lead for the Ballon d’Or.
“Salah and Raphinha have similar numbers in terms of goals and assists, which is quite remarkable. You have to win the big trophies. If you win the big ones, then you’ve got a chance. I think right now it’s probably Salah, but Raphinha is very close.”
