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Jurgen Klopp celebrates with Mohamed Salah after Liverpool's Champions League final victory in Madrid in 2019(Image: TF-Images/Getty Images)

Liverpool's former head of data has explained how Jurgen Klopp's open mind allowed them to sway his opinion to sign Mohamed Salah over Julian Brandt in the summer of 2017 Salah joined the Reds from Roma for what was a club-record £36m at the time.

He has since become one of the greatest goalscorers in Anfield history, with his 243 placing him behind only Roger Hunt (285) and Ian Rush (346) in the list.

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The Egyptian has won every top-level trophy available during his time at Liverpool and his 27 Premier League goals this season- a division high - have been instrumental to the Reds' charge for a second title in five years this term under Arne Slot.



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Salah, though, was not the preferred option initially eight years ago, with then boss Klopp believing Bayer Leverkusen's Julian Brandt to be the first choice option to improve his frontline after qualifying for the Champions League in the 2016/17 campaign.

Graham, who worked as the head of the club's respected data department until 2023, has now explained how Klopp's willingness to listen to other viewpoints helped bring Salah to Anfield to begin what has since become a legendary career on Merseyside.

"Jurgen's preferred option for that summer was Julian Brandt, who was a great player," Graham says in a new BBC Sport documentary about how Liverpool won the 2019 Champions League.

"Jurgen would obviously know him very well coming from the Bundesliga and knowing the German market very well.

"We agreed that Brandt was a very good young player but not a standout in the same way that Mo was.

From our data analysis point of view, Mo was the best young wide forward in Europe full stop.

"Roma were under pressure to sell because their finances were not in a good place so we knew he was available for a good price.

"He played a forward and wide role that we needed to fill at the time whereas Brandt was more of an attacking midfielder.

"It's to Jurgen credit that he engaged in that debate in an honest way with his eyes open to say: 'Okay, I'm open to be convinced, show me that Mo is better.'"

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How to win the Champions League: Liverpool 2019 is available on BBC iPlayer now and on BBC One Wednesday 9 April at 11:40pm.