Chelsea’s squad may be settled after an excellent summer of transfer business, but that didn’t stop manager Jose Mourinho attempting to offload Mohamed Salah on the window’s final day.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Chelsea gaffer reportedly offered the Egyptian winger to his old club Inter Milan. That’s according to a report from Gianluca Di Marzio that also stated Inter’s lack of interest:
Mohamed Salah was offered to Inter, but the management was not convinced about signing him. They did not consider the proposal, they thought it was not adapt to the needs of Mazzarri’s side.
The fact that Inter were so cold to the idea of signing him is a reflection of just how far Salah‘s stock has plummeted since joining Chelsea. He joined the Blues from Basel back in January, but he has rarely made it onto a pitch since.
He made just 12 appearances, six as a substitute during his debut period at Stamford Bridge, per ESPN FC. Salah hasn’t made a single appearance so far this season.
Should Chelsea sell Salah this season?
It’s tough to see why Mourinho doesn’t trust the player he was so keen to sign at the start of the year. Salah has terrific pace to get behind any defence. He’s also an accomplished finisher.
Of course, his chances aren’t helped by the logjam in his position. Chelsea are brimming with talented wingers and wide forwards.
Eden Hazard is a mercurial ace who, when at his best, can make any marker look foolish. Meanwhile, workmanlike Brazilian Willian is nowhere near as spectacular, but he is a tireless runner. The 26-year-old is willing to do his defensive chores on the flanks, a quality Mourinho appreciates.
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Finally, Germany international Andre Schurrle offers a more direct goal threat. The one-time Bayer 04 Leverkusen star has got that super-sub quality, a flair for consistently making an impact off the bench.
Worse still for Salah, the arrival of Loic Remy may have done even more damage to his chances at Stamford Bridge. The Blues signed the lightning-fast French striker from Queens Park Rangers for £10.5 million, per BBC Sport.
Remy has pace to spare and as well as operating as a centre-forward, he can also be deployed wide. He often played left during his loan spell with Newcastle United. Remy’s arrival seems to push Salah even further down the pecking order.
Mourinho initially suggested Salah would need six months to settle in, according to London Evening Standard writer Simon Johnson:
The 21-year-old came on as a substitute in the second half of the FA Cup defeat to Manchester City on Saturday but failed to make an impact. All of his three appearances have come from the bench, although one, against West Brom, only came in the 89th minute.
Mourinho admits it will take time for him to adapt to the Premier League and said: ‘He was not in the game [against City]. He has that [pace] but he was not in the game.’
Salah is now past that period and didn’t exactly use it to make the best impression. The player was reportedly on the receiving end of a tirade from his manager when Chelsea drew 0-0 with Norwich City back in May, per the Daily Mail (h/t Metro):
Now the Daily Mail reports that Mourinho went berserk over his team’s poor first-half showing against the Canaries, singling out Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah during a half-time dressing-room rant.
The Portuguese reportedly told Salah to make sure he returned next season ‘ready to be a footballer’ before replacing the Egyptian winger with Hazard.
Perhaps Mourinho has already made up his mind that Salah hasn’t got the temperament he wants. What’s certain, if Di Marzio is to be believed, is that Chelsea were trying to encourage offers for a player who hasn’t even been on their books for a year.