“I think it’s safe to say” - Steve McManaman claims Liverpool star is better than Real Madrid ace Kylian Mbappe

Former England winger Steve McManaman has claimed that Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is better than Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe. He picked the Egyptian over the Frenchman in a recent quickfire round, without offering any explanation.

In a short video with GOAL, McManaman was asked to pick between multiple former Liverpool and Real Madrid players. The Englishman, who represented both clubs during his playing career, picked Ronaldo Nazario over Michael Owen, and also went with Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr ahead of David Beckham and Raheem Sterling, respectively.

He also chose Gareth Bale over Sadio Mane, before Steven Gerrard became the first Reds player to be picked over a former Los Blancos star. Gerrard was picked over Toni Kroos and was one of the three other former players from the Anfield side to get the nod.

McManaman also picked Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos over Luis Suarez and Virgil van Dijk, respectively, before Xabi Alonso edged out Casemiro. The host asked the Englishman to choose between Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe in his final question, which made him take some time before he eventually went with the Egyptian, simply saying:

"I think it's safe to say Mo."

Steve McManaman played 364 matches for Liverpool before joining Real Madrid. He played 158 matches for Los Blancos, then returned to England with Manchester City and retired after representing them in 44 matches.

When Steve McManaman wanted Real Madrid star at Liverpool

Steve McManaman spoke to HorseRacing in 2020 and admitted that he wanted to see Kylian Mbappe at Liverpool. However, he did not see the current Real Madrid star joining for cheap and believed that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) would demand £250 million. He said (via GOAL):

“I’d love to see him make a move to L'pool! I’ve said for the last three or four years that he’s going to be the best around, but L'pool are flying at the moment and they don’t necessarily need Kylian Mbappe at this moment in time. They’re going to have to pay £250 million for him. Let’s be honest, that’s what he would cost. It’s a lot to consider for L'pool if they are going to make this jump.

“You have to do your homework, you need to know what else you’re signing as well as just the player. Do you sign a mad agent? Do you sign a mad entourage? However, to stick up for Kylian Mbappe, all I’ve heard is that his attitude and everything is fantastic and he’s an incredible football player that would make L'pool's squad better, but you just need to be very careful, firstly with the price tag and secondly the effect it will have on the squad.”

Kylian Mbappe was linked with Liverpool, but eventually joined Real Madrid on a free transfer. He ran down his contract at PSG in 2024 and moved to the Santiago Bernabeu, where he has 47 goals in 62 matches.