Little can you deny that Mohammed Salah is the best player in the English Premier League given his outstanding form. Boasting an impressive 36 goals and 12 assists in 41 appearances thus far, the former Chelsea man has really worked wonders at Anfield and doesn't seem like stopping anytime soon.
I remember watching him during his first EPL stint with Chelsea, when he just couldn't fit into a Mourinho's side competing against the likes of Hazard, Oscar , Schurrle and Willian for a starting spot. Even when he was given a spot in the matchday starting lineup he couldn't do enough to cement his place in the first team. You could see the potential but alongside you just knew he wasn't ready for the physicality and the pace of the English game.
I have never believed that a player can come into a new team, new city, new country and a different footballing culture and just explode onto the scene immediately. You can catch a few glimpses of his talent from time to time but you can't expect a season where a player goes onto score 25+ goals and keeps repeating that year in year out. (Unless you're a certain Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi)
Sure enough like De Bruyne and Lukaku before him, Salah was shipped out initially on loan to Fiorentina with an option to buy him and Cuadrado was seen going the other way (Wonder what happened to him?). You started hearing his name once more due to his pacy dribbles and ability to find the net from time to time. Fiorentina were more than impressed and wanted to make the move permanent but Salah didn't want to join the Italian side. In the summer of 2015, Salah was then loaned to Roma and they too were given an option to buy him for a mere 15 million Euros (which they activated).
I saw Salah play after nearly 2 years since I saw him last at Chelsea and I couldn't believe this was the same player who wasn't cut out for the Premiership. His ability on and off the ball improved massively, his positioning was key in several attacks and he was lethal in the box.
Performances such as his didn't go unnoticed and well Liverpool came calling. Although it took some time to get the deal over the line, Liverpool still seem to have walked away with an absolute bargain worth 35 million pounds (considering the insane hike in the market value these days).
Now I knew Salah was making his way back to the Premier League with an eye for vengeance and with a lot to prove but even he may be surprised with how well he has done thus far. Goes to show that in football making rash decisions can hurt you especially if your club's manager is Jose Mourinho.
Manchester United fans, you might want to keep an eye out for Martial's situation because he may come back to haunt Mourinho and the Red Devils if he too is forced to leave. ( Strong rumours linking him with a move to Juventus)
