Chelsea’s Mohamed Salah named AS Roma player of the season
By George Perry
Chelsea FC loanee Mohamed Salah earned AS Roma’s Player of the Season awards, finishing ahead of transfer target Radja Nainggolan in the fan voting.
Mohamed Salah is the latest Chelsea loanee to garner Player of the Season honors for this adopted club. AS Roma capped off their annual honors by announcing Salah won the fan-voting for player of the year, after having claimed the fans’ “signing of the season” earlier this week.
Salah joins fellow Chelsea loanees Andreas Christensen and Lewis Baker in earning season-long awards at their homes away from Stamford Bridge. Andreas Christensen was Borussia Monchengladbach’s Player of the Year, and Lewis Baker won Young Player of the Year at Arnhem Vitesse.
Salah had a career-best campaign for AS Roma in 2015/16, leading the team with 14 goals in 34 Serie A appearances. Salah doubled his goal and assist output from the previous season, when he was on loan to Fiorentina. Salah tied for fifth-most goals in Serie A, and powered AS Roma to having the highest goal tally in the league.
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Chelsea transfer prospect Radja Nainggolan finished second in the voting behind Salah. The club cited Nainggolan’s clutch goal-scoring, tenacity on both sides of the ball and his team-leading 64 tackles.
"Time and time again he delivered crucial moments… But Nainggolan’s influence was not limited to goals – he also finished the campaign having made more tackles than any other player, an illustration of his all-round contribution that evidently found favour with supporters when it came to voting."
Mohamed Salah arrived at Chelsea from FC Basel, where he scored twice against Chelsea in the Champions League group stages. Chelsea paid Salah’s transfer fee off of the sale of Juan Mata.
Salah scored two goals in 19 appearances for the Blues, mostly coming off the bench. Then-manager Jose Mourinho did not believe Salah was ready for the pace and physicality of the Premier League, which limited his playing opportunities before beginning his loan spell.
The growing list of awards won by Chelsea’s loan army shows the incredible depth across the Blues’ organization. Players that clamor for a few minutes of playing time for Chelsea in the Premier League can go on loan to other top leagues and become their new team’s stars. Each award earned by a loanee also increases the value of future Chelsea loans, as teams see the potential value of these some-time Blues.
Next: Rumor: Chelsea may transfer Diego Costa to Atletico
Exit question for Dietmar Hamann: If Premier League players are “bang average” and “over-inflated,” how can all these players not good enough for the Premier League earn POTY honors at top clubs in Serie A, the Bundesliga and Eredivisie?