FC Basel manager, Murat Yakin must be given a lot of credit for discovering the talent of a player who would now become the latest addition to the English Premier League. 20-year-old Mohamed Salah was impressing with Egyptian Premier League side El Mokawloon and it was the former Swiss international who unearthed this gem of a player who in the 2012 CAF Awards, was named African football’s Most Promising Talent.
Given just a seven day trial with the Swiss giants, Salah had done enough to convince of his talents and secure a professional contract with the Swiss giants.
Now, the youngster is again on the move. This time, he is moving to London to don the colors of Chelsea who are going to pay around 13 million pounds for his services.
The real deal?
He might still not be one of the most well-known faces in international football but Salah’s performances for Basel, both domestically and in Europe show that he has the potential to live up to his billing. Moving from North Africa to Europe at a young age can take its toll on a young player but Salah was oblivious to such issues and played a huge role in assisting his team all the way to the semi-finals of the Europa League where Basel lost to eventual winners Chelsea.
17 goals in 24 games for the national side will understandably make you feel that Salah is a striker. However, the Egyptian international is either seen dazzling as a winger or as a midfielder which makes him an exceptional talent. Being a perfect mixture between a winger and a forward makes him a player any team would love to have.
Move to Chelsea a right decision?
Before the Blues entered the fray, it was Liverpool who were favorites to land his services. However, Salah rejected a move to Anfield, finding the temptation to play for Jose Mourinho too alluring. Chelsea struggled against a Salah led Basel side in the group stages of the Champions League. Indeed Mourinho had seen enough of the young Egyptian to be convinced of his abilities. Capable of playing behind the two strikers or on either wing, coupled with his unpredictable solo runs and ambidextrousness, Salah could be the perfect player for Chelsea.
However, it should also be noticed that during his time at Internazionale, Real Madrid and again at Chelsea, Mourinho has not really been that keen on giving youth a clear shot. The likes of Sergio Canales (Madrid) and Mario Balotelli (Internazionale) are two players who had a lot of potential but were never given enough chances to showcase their talents. More recently, Kevin de Bruyne left Stamford Bridge for VfL Wolfsburg after he became convinced that he would never be able to become the man Mourinho could call upon.
For a young player, playing under Mourinho, the margin of error is very thin which is why Salah will have to quickly acquiesce with the preferences of his new manager. The next six months of Salah’s career at Chelsea will be crucial. He might not get enough game time initially and should be aware that the move to Chelsea will end up in one of two scenarios. Either he will become an integral part of the starting eleven just like Oscar did at such a young age or he will be packing his bags for loan moves before leaving the club for good just like De Bruyne who despite all his talents, never realized his potential once he joined Chelsea on a permanent basis.
