Mohamed Salah of Liverpool signed a new deal earlier this week, but the talisman of the Reds was apparently prepared for a Chelsea comeback before doing so.
To the surprise of many, the Liverpool hierarchy broke their infamously rigid wage structure by caving in to Mo Salah’s high wage demands in order to keep him on Merseyside for an additional three years.
The fact that the Egyptian, who is thought to be making close to £400,000 per week, got his financial demands satisfied but the Reds chose to let Sadio Mané leave rather than pay him the big bucks may have Sadio Mané scratching his head.
Salah was very much weighing his options prior to a contract being finalized between Liverpool and him, though.
His contractual position was reportedly being watched by PSG and Real Madrid, and according to The Sun, a return to Chelsea might have even been in the works for him.
The 30-year-old’s time with the Blues was noticeably poor, and he played his final game for Chelsea back in 2014. However, it’s safe to say that Salah is a totally different player now. Due to Romelu Lukaku’s departure, Chelsea are still looking for new top forwards this summer.
Raheem Sterling’s move to West London is seemingly inevitable, while Raphinha of Leeds United seems to be a forgone alternative.
As a result, Chelsea must keep seeking for a new right-forward player despite Salah extending his contract at Liverpool, Ousmane Dembélé perhaps staying at Barcelona, and a deal for Raphinha looking unlikely.
Some Chelsea supporters might be relieved that a comeback for Salah didn’t happen.
The West London club would be well to hold off on re-signing former stars for the time being after witnessing Lukaku struggle when he returned to Stamford Bridge last season.
Salah’s teammates at Liverpool may want salaries akin to Salah’s in the future, but for the time being, Reds supporters will be happy to see their no. 11 staying put.
Mohamed Salah first stint at Chelsea
A 21-year-old Salah made his Premier League debut for the Blues against Newcastle United in February 2014, replacing Willian in the 78th minute of a 3-0 victory that was made possible by a hat-trick from Eden Hazard.
However, it is frequently forgotten that he scored twice for Chelsea before he was allowed to leave the club.
With a spectacular hat-trick against Manchester United on October 24, 2021, at Old Trafford, Mohamed Salah surpassed Chelsea icon Didier Drogba as the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history thanks to his outstanding exploits for Liverpool over the past several seasons.
In just 154 Premier League games, the Egyptian great accomplished the milestone, scoring the vast majority of his goals for Liverpool.
