Club Brugge coach Ivan Leko insists that Liverpool linked attacker Arnaut Groeneveld is to the Belgian club what Mohamed Salah is to the Reds in England.
Groeneveld, who has been out of action due to an ankle injury since October, has been linked with attracting interest from Premier League giants Liverpool this term.
The 22-year-old winger joined Club Brugge from NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie last summer and has impressed for Leko’s team in the Belgian top flight so far this season.
Prior to his injury in late October, the attacker had netted five goals and registered four assists in all competitions for his new team.
Groeneveld’s impressive form also earned him a call-up to the Netherlands senior national team, when he made his debut as a substitute against Germany in October, before scoring against Belgium in the next game.
And in the wake of his lengthy layoff owing to injury, Leko has admitted that Groeneveld’s absence is a hugely unfortunate for his side.
The Club Brugge boss even went on to claim that Groeneveld is for his team what Salah is for Liverpool and what Neymar is for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, in a glowing reference of a player who is of interest to Jurgen Klopp.
“His absence is a pity, but also an opportunity for other boys”, Leko was quoted as saying by Dutch daily the Algemeen Dagblad.
“He was decisive for us and we miss that, but we're not going to cry about it.
“The way he played for us in the first two months, he was for us what Neymar is for Paris Saint-Germain and what Mo Salah is for Liverpool.”
Groeneveld, who is under contract with Club Brugge until 2022, could well be the subject of bids in the summer window and it remains to be seen if he will link up with Salah at Anfield.
