Ex-Liverpool midfielder and pundit Danny Murphy refutes the popular suggestion that Mohamed Salah was a "flop" at Chelsea during his first stint in English football.
Salah joined Chelsea in January 2014, signing for an £11 million fee. While he showed initial promise in Mourinho's team, he was relegated to a bit-part role, and was loaned to Fiorentina and Roma, before joining the Rome giants in a permanent deal.
"I'd seen him play a few times before he went to Chelsea and liked him a lot," said Murphy.
"Not only his pace, but his close control and awareness. I didn't know he had this many goals in him or was as comfortable in front of goal."
Murphy believes that Salah did not get a proper chance at Chelsea, and it was not his performances that led to his eventual transfer.
"He then never got a chance at Chelsea. People say he went there and failed, but you don't fail if you don't play and the reason he didn't play was Willian and [Eden] Hazard," continued Murphy.
"It's the same with [Kevin] De Bruyne. Was he ever going to play instead of [Frank] Lampard? No."
Salah managed 10 Premier League appearances in his first season at Chelsea, scoring two goals. He only made three appearances the following season, with no goals.
Source: tribalfootball.com