New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is looking to make a big impact as soon as possible ahead of a massive summer transfer window. The Blues would be smart to eye Mohamed Salah, who has already given his verdict on his decision to leave Liverpool if he is not given a deal he believe he deserves. The forward could make a sensational return to Stamford Bridge, as he has stated his desire to still remain in the Premier League if he leaves the Reds.
The American-led consortium that completed a £4.25 billion takeover of the west London club on Monday is expected to push for A-list signings in the coming months. Boehly is quite eager to bolster the Blues’ armoury with a reported £200 million at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal to be used on splash transfers. There is no mention that Salah has declared he wants a return to Chelsea—let’s be clear about that fact—but if he wants to actually stay in the Premier league post-Liverpool on similar wages, there are very few options.
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Manchester City is one of the other possible destinations. The Blue side of Manchester may well find itself overstocked in wide attacking positions with the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling still in its ranks. If the Citizens keep up with this rate of acquisition, Salah wouldn’t love to warm the bench, which he could be forced to do in Pep Guardiola’s side. A move to Man City’s arch rival, Manchester United, is seemingly off the cards given Salah’s current allegiance to Liverpool. That leaves Chelsea as the only true contender should the time come.
In January 2014, Chelsea paid £11 million to Basel for Salah’s services. The young winger was one of Europe’s hottest prospects at the time, but he made just 19 appearances for the Blues across two-and-a-half years. Jose Mourinho was seemingly unwilling to give him sufficient playing time to develop. It goes without saying that he needed to get onto the pitch to continue his development, which resulted in multiple loans away from the London side.
Salah enjoyed loan spells in Italy with Fiorentina and AS Roma before eventually joining I Giallorossi on a permanent deal in 2016. It was there he made a name for himself across the borders of Europe and later joined Liverpool for a bargain price of £36.9 million. Salah once stated in an interview that,”you have two choices, to tell the people that they are right to put you on the bench, or to prove them wrong.” The latter he definitely did as he proved Mourinho and every other person involved in his 2016 sale to the Serie A giant wrong.
The Egyptian ace has been nothing short of impressive since joining Liverpool, breaking just a couple of records along the way. The ex-Roma star also recently won the Premier League Golden Boot as he was the joint-top scorer in the English top flight this season. He finished the season with 23 goals and 14 assists in 34 games as he ensured the Reds finished second in the table, a point away from the league winner, Man City.
Whether or not a return to the Bridge would be possible, it’s definitely a transfer that the fans will be praying can go through. Salah would be a real upgrade—whether as a false nine or playing on the wings. His pace and trickery down the wings with Romelu Lukaku down the middle would be a terror to any team Chelsea comes up against. Until then, we wait and solely dream of the combo!
Would a return to Chelsea be a good idea for Salah’s career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!