Mohamed Salah 2018-19Getty Images

‘We had no choice’ – Roma president Pallota rues Salah’s sale to Liverpool

Roma had no choice but to let Mohamed Salah join English Premier League side Liverpool last June, according to club president James Pallotta.

The fleet-footed forward completed a then club-record move of €42 million move to Anfield in June 2017, and went on to score 44 goals in all competitions.

The 26-year-old scored a brace when he faced his former club in the Uefa Champions League semi-final tie last season - a two-legged encounter that ended 7-6 on aggregate in favour of the Reds.

But Pallot, in an interview with Kostas Manolas and Justin Kluivert, revealed that the club had to yield to Salah's call as he entered the final year of his contract.

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"I really liked Salah, many still do not know we had no choice, we had to let him go, he still had a contract year, he asked to be sold because he felt he had to show something in the Premier League," Pallota told the club's YouTube page

"It was difficult, even with Alisson it was difficult." 

Salah had previously struggled for form in the English top-flight with Chelsea where he managed two in 19 games across two seasons.

He has made up for the underwhelming stint with a sensational debut season with Jurgen Klopp's side.

The 2017 African Player of the Year will be hoping to set more records in the 2018-19 season after eclipsing the goal record in a single Premier League campaign with 32 goals last term.

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