Chelsea prevented Mohamed Salah from joining Liverpool earlier in his career after winning the battle for his signature in 2014. The Reds targeted the then-Basel winger in the January transfer window but ultimately lost out to Jose Mourinho’s side.

Salah, who is set to leave Liverpool in the summer, struggled to establish himself during his first spell in English football. He made 19 appearances for the west London club before being loaned out to Fiorentina a year later and subsequently joining Roma.

His performances in Italy convinced Liverpool to revive their interest, completing a £34.3million deal in 2017. Given the success Salah has enjoyed across nine years at Anfield, Mourinho has since been criticised for allowing him to leave Stamford Bridge, but the former Chelsea boss had a different view of the situation.

OPINION

"When people say, ‘You let Salah go’, I say exactly the opposite," Mourinho told The Obi One podcast in 2023....