Chelsea Sold Mohamed Salah Despite Him 'Training Like Lionel Messi'

The Egyptian's first spell in English football was ill-fated and he never managed to establish himself at Stamford Bridge.

Former teammate Filipe Luis claims it wasn't down to a lack of trying however, as the Egyptian looked every inch the player he is right now behind close doors.

"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."

Salah joined Fiorentina on loan in January 2015 and sealed a permanent move to Serie A the following summer with Roma, after yet another loan.

He returned to English football in 2017 and signed for Liverpool in a deal worth £37 million.

Meanwhile, Luis spent just a year in London before returning to Atletico Madrid.

Luis continued: "When I was on the bench for the first game of the season I knocked on Mourinho's office door and said: 'Why did you bring me here? Why didn't you just leave me at Atletico?

"He said that he didn't feel as secure defensively with me in the team as he did with [Cesar] Azpilicueta.

"He said I had to win my place. I couldn't expect that because of my name I was going to be first choice.

"He was right. I wasn't playing well. But I also think you have to be on the pitch to improve.

"I never regretted the move because I was at one of the biggest clubs in the world but everyone wants to play!"

He told beIN Sports: "When the club decided to sell him, it was not me. I bought him, I didn't sell him, and my relationship with him was good, is good.

"I pushed the club to buy him. At the time, we had fantastic attacking players, [Eden] Hazard and Willian, but I told them to buy that kid."