Mohamed Salah Moves to Chelsea

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Mohamed Salah

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah has completed a move to English Football’s Chelsea. He came from FC Basel for a transfer fee of around 16million pounds. The 21-year-old Egypt International leaves the Swiss side for Stamford Bridge stadium. Salah signed a five-and-a-half-year deal, and will wear the No 15 shirt. Salah is an attacking midfielder.

Salah told reporters, “I’m very happy to sign for Chelsea, such a big club in the world. I hope I can make the Chelsea supporters happy and have a good career at the club for many years to come.” Salah has represented the Egyptian national team from a young age. He also participated in 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2012 Summer Olympics. He won the Swiss Super League in his first season with FC Basel, and was awarded the CAF Most Promising African Talent of the Year in 2012 CAF Awards.

Salah had been pursued very early by English Premier League rivals Liverpool, but their 11 million pound offer was topped in the eleventh hour by the deep-pocketed Chelsea organization. In fact, reports now have indicated that Salah’s team was very turned off by Liverpool’s slow, deliberate, and measured negotiating stance and took their low offers for the player as a sign of disrespect.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was, as expected, full of praise for his new acquisition. “…We had to go for a young player, for a left-footed player and for a fast player – especially who is fast in the space because most of my attacking players are fast and fast with the ball,” he stated at Salah’s introductory press conference.  “Salah is a kind of player that looks for the space and tries to get behind people so we think he was a good choice.” Ironically, Salah scored against Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2013, before scoring in both Champions League matches against them this season. “First of all, he won’t score against Chelsea – which is a good thing,” Mourinho joked.

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