Mohamed Salah admitted that poor guidance encouraged him to join Chelsea.
Speaking to GQ magazine, Liverpool’s electric Egyptian put his unsuccessful Stamford Bridge move down to calamitous counsel.
Where did it all go wrong?
The 29-year-old’s underwhelming spell in the English capital is arguably the most fabled transfer failure in Premier League history.
Not because of the player’s disappointing return for the Blues – he managed just two goals in 19 appearances – but because of how great the player would eventually become.
Very few could have predicted the attacker’s rise to stardom after parting ways permanently with the current Champions League holders over half a decade ago.
Salah arrived at Chelsea from Basel back in 2014 as one of Europe’s hottest prospects.
His reputation unfortunately did not cross over from Switzerland to South West London, as he found minutes incredibly hard to come by under Jose Mourinho.
The likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian and Andre Schurrle were ahead in the pecking order, meaning Salah’s status was regularly as a substitute.
From the Artemio Franchi stadium to Anfield
Instead, he found refuge in Serie A thanks to successive loans at Fiorentina and then Roma.
Roma acquired his services on a full-time basis ahead of the 2016/17 campaign, ending his fragmented two-year relationship with the Blues.
Showing up in the Italian capital led to Liverpool’s interest and eventual £34m (BBC) capture of the wicked winger.
Two Premier League golden boots, a European and domestic trophy, plus numerous individual accolades later, and Salah truly has shown Chelsea the error of their ways.
Salah says it how it is
“When I look back, (I had) bad advice with the situation,” said the Egypt captain on his move to Mourinho’s side.
“It was so tough for me, mentally. I couldn’t handle the pressure I had from the media, coming from outside.
“I was not playing that much. I felt, ‘No, I need to go’.”
“You have two choices: to tell the people that they are right to put you on a bench, or to prove them wrong.
“I needed to prove them wrong.”
Chelsea cursing their luck
Prove them wrong he most certainly did.
Salah is now widely regarded as the best player currently roaming the planet.
Even the most avid Chelsea supporter would struggle to argue with this statement.
Liverpool’s number 11 has already scored 23 goals this season, including two against Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Hindsight is a glorious tool and if Blues fans could wind back the clock, they certainly would.
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