Chelsea have suffered their fair share of howlers in the transfer market over the previous decade or so, having signed countless flops while selling players far too hastily before they have gone on to shine elsewhere.
Jose Mourinho was arguably the key protagonist in this regard, especially during his second spell at the Stamford Bridge side. He did secure another Premier League title and League Cup win in 2014/2015, yet his transfer record was a strange one.
The likes of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas improved the side yet moves for Mark Schwarzer and Marco van Ginkel didn’t exactly work out. The Portuguese manager sold Kevin De Bruyne in 2014, and he has developed into arguably the "best midfield player in the world", as per Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.
It wasn’t just Mourinho who was prone to a howler however, with Antonio Conte selling Mohamed Salah in the summer of 2016 to AS Roma for just £12m – a decision that does appear to have been a huge mistake.
How much is Mohamed Salah worth now?
Salah couldn’t quite settle in at Chelsea, making just 19 appearances during his brief spell, although it wasn’t for a lack of trying, especially with his performances in training.
Fellow teammate at the time, Filipe Luis, said in an interview with the Guardian that Mourinho didn’t bring the best out of Salah: “When [Salah] 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.”
High praise indeed and clearly a sign of things to come, especially judging by his records since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017 for £34.4m.
He has gone down as an icon at the Anfield side, spearheading them to their greatest era since the 1980s and scoring 183 goals in 299 appearances, a staggering record.
His value has soared since departing Chelsea in 2016, with Football Transfers now valuing the forward at €65.8m (£58m) and it certainly proves just how big a mistake it was for Chelsea to sell the 87-cap dynamo when they did for such a small fee.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and would Salah have blossomed into the layer he is now if he had persisted at Chelsea under Conte? Who knows, but it will go down as a major transfer howler by the Stamford Bridge side that’s for sure.
