“Mohamed Salah’s extraordinary Liverpool career is drawing to an end. Since arriving at the club in the summer of 2017, the Egyptian has amassed 257 goals in 441 games — a record only bettered by two players in the club’s history. His time at Liverpool has not been without controversy — as events in the last week have underlined — but his legend is secure. His legacy, however, spreads far beyond Merseyside. This week, The Athletic is publishing a special three-part series examining Salah’s time at Anfield, including his playing legacy and his wider impact as a social and cultural icon. Today, we examine how his move from Roma transformed football’s transfer market, proving what could be done with data and why the smartest signings are not always the most obvious. …”
NYT/ATH