Former Tottenham midfielder Sandro has waded into the debate regarding the greatest individual performers in Premier League history, suggesting that a current Mo Salah still has work to do before he can be considered on the same level as Spurs’ Gareth Bale.
Tottenham Hotspur have seen several elite players take to the pitch in North London in recent years, with the club consistently producing or hosting some of the most recognisable names in world football.
During the previous campaign, one such legend in Heung-min Son moved on to join LAFC as he began to slowly edge towards the conclusion of a remarkable top-level playing career.
Harry Kane is another notable figure who progressed through the ranks at Spurs to eventually become the greatest goalscorer in the history of the club, establishing himself as one of the most lethal finishers the Premier League era has ever seen.
Before the emergence of the prolific partnership between Kane and Son, Tottenham Hotspur also boasted the talents of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale, both of whom were superstars in North London and beyond.
Sandro explains why Mo Salah has not surpassed Gareth Bale
The Premier League has played host to a multitude of world-class talents throughout its history, and Mohamed Salah certainly falls into that category after his performances for Liverpool.
Last season, the Egyptian forward almost single-handedly dragged the side under Arne Slot to a league title, further cementing his status as one of the most productive attackers in the modern game.
However, former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Sandro believes that the Liverpool man has still not reached the heights achieved by Gareth Bale during his peak years in England.
Speaking to Boyle Sports about the impact of the Welshman, the Brazilian explained that while Mohamed Salah is exceptional, he does not believe the winger has overtaken the standard set by Gareth Bale for the best individual season in the history of the competition.
Sandro told Boyle Sports: “Did Mohamed Salah overtake Gareth Bale for best season in Premier League history last season? No. Sorry, Salah.
“I’m so proud that I was on the same pitch as Gareth Bale and Luka Modric too. That squad we had. I enjoyed it so much but especially with Bale. Bale smashed everyone.
“Whether we were having a good game, a bad game, we knew, everyone in the squad knew, just pass to Bale. If we were in a good moment we passed to Bale and said Bale, do your trick!
“If we were in a bad moment we passed to Bale. Bale, do your trick! It was similar for Liverpool last year with Salah but I would say that Bale had more to his game, more running, and taking the ball from very deep, and he had a free kick on him.”
How Spurs’ Bale and Mo Salah compares
Sandro is correct in his assessment that Gareth Bale was perhaps the more complete all-round player, possessing the physical and technical attributes to virtually do everything on a football pitch.
The Welshman was versatile enough to excel as a full-back, a wide forward, and a traditional wide midfielder, maintaining a world-class level of performance in each of those distinct roles.
Mohamed Salah does, however, have the incredible statistics to back up his consistent performances for Liverpool over the years.
The attacker currently ranks third in the all-time Premier League scoring charts and is now just five goals away from overtaking Harry Kane to move into second place, which is a testament to his remarkable longevity in the top flight.
However, despite the prolific nature of the Liverpool forward, Gareth Bale holds a significant advantage in terms of silverware, having secured multiple Champions League titles during his career.
Most notably, he won one of those trophies directly against the Liverpool side of Mohamed Salah, scoring a stunning overhead kick in the process to settle the tie in favour of his team.