Chelsea Sold $49M Star Despite Him 'Training Like Messi,' Claims Filipe Luis

KEY POINTS

Mo Salah joined Chelsea during the 2014 January transfer window
He made only 19 appearances for the Blues
Salah joined Liverpool in the 2017 summer

Chelsea sold Mohamed Salah despite the forward “training like [Lionel] Messi,” the former Blues defender Filipe Luis has claimed.

Salah moved from Basel to Chelsea during the 2014 January transfer window. Interestingly, even Liverpool had made a bid for the Egypt national, but were beaten by the Blues as Salah went on to make his Chelsea debut the following month.

Salah, who is one of the best players in the Premier League at present, had a forgettable run in his first spell in the English top-flight during his time at Chelsea.

Luis, who was Salah’s teammate at Chelsea between 2014 and 2015, has said Salah’s failure at Stamford Bridge was not because of lack of trying as the forward looked every inch the player he is right now behind close doors.

"It might look like we [Mourinho] fell out but I admire him. I won the league with him. But he didn't get the best out of me, just as he didn't with Salah. When he went Fiorentina, I said: 'Why are you going, Momo? This is Chelsea.' And he said: 'I need to play.' I thought: 'This kid's good.' He never went for money or to win more; he went to show he could play. In training he was like Messi. Really, like Messi. Ask anyone," Luis told The Guardian.

After playing only 19 competitive matches at Chelsea, Salah was loaned off to Fiorentina in January 2015 before going on a season-long loan to Roma ahead of the 2015-16 season. The following summer, the Serie A club signed Salah permanently for $20 million.

Salah finished his career at Roma with 34 goals in 83 matches, across all competitions. After missing out on signing the talented forward in 2014, Liverpool finally secured him in the summer of 2017 at $49 million. Salah kick-started his life at Anfield on a brilliant note, scoring an incredible 44 goals in 53 competitive appearances in his maiden season.

From there on, Salah has finished as the club’s top scorer in each of the seasons. The 29-year-old forward has played a vital part in Liverpool winning four trophies in the last few years, including their first-ever Premier League title and their sixth Champions League title.