After signing from Arab Contractors last year, Salah has been dubbed a player for the future with the Swiss giants intending to sell him to a bigger club.

The 21-year-old, who dazzled in his first season at St. Jakob-Park, recently implied that he might be tempted to leave for a bigger club amid mounting speculation that his ‘big move’ could come this summer.

“I think Mohamed Salah did really a great job because it is not easy to come to Europe and play like this in his first season,” Basel GM Heitz told Alkaherawalnas TV.

“But he still has to improve, he still has to learn. I think he is a very intelligent person, he will learn much more and he will be better player in the future.

“He is already a great player, but he will be world class.

“I don’t want to name clubs interested in him, but what is for sure is that we don’t want to lose Mohamed Salah this summer. The possibility of his transfer is not so high at the moment.

“It is not about his price. It is our wish to keep the player for another season. We want him to shine in the Champions League and I think it is better for him to stay with us for another season.”

Salah is on a three-year contract with Basel, who are on course to win the Swiss double this term.

Wonderful Al-Nenni

Heitz also heaped praise on Salah’s compatriot Mohamed Al-Nenni, who earned a permanent deal with Basel following a short-term loan from Contractors.

“He has been great. He adapted in a way that is unbelievable,” the Basel official added.

“He is very intelligent. Tactically he is a wonderful player and we were really happy with his performances.”