Mohamed Salah may only have seven more games left in his Premier League spell, which will bring the curtain down on one of the best individual careers in the division's history.
However, he could have become a true great away from Liverpool had he hit the ground running at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho.
The Egyptian star has arguably been Liverpool's greatest-ever player in Premier League history when factoring in success and longevity, alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and more.
However, it didn't quite happen for him at Stamford Bridge with just 13 top-flight games for the Blues. And that led former Brazil international Felipe Luis - now manager of South American giants Flamengo - to cite Mourinho as the reason for his failure, comparing Salah to none other than Lionel Messi for his work on the training ground.
Filipe Luis Says Mohamed Salah Was 'Like Lionel Messi' in Training
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates
World Cup - CONMEBOL Qualifiers - Argentina v Venezuela - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - September 4, 2025 Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
There is no doubting that Mourinho was the main reason for Chelsea's initial dominance in the Premier League at the start of his first spell at the club, and although his second tenure wasn't as successful, there were various success stories during his second bout in west London.
Mourinho still managed to win the Premier League with Chelsea in the 2014-15 season, and set the club up for future success under Antonio Conte.
However, his failure to get certain players such as Kevin de Bruyne and Salah firing will always be a blemish on his managerial record, and Luis alluded to as much in 2021. The former Atletico Madrid star said:
“It might look like we fell out but I admire him. I won the league with him. But he didn’t get the best out of me, just as he didn’t with Salah.
“When he went to 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.”
It's not a bad comparison, by any means - and although Salah's career pales in comparison to the Argentine's in reality, that isn't to say that his career hasn't been incredible in itself.
Mohamed Salah's Chelsea Career Still Gave Him Valuable Experience
Mohamed Salah at Chelsea
Mohamed Salah at Chelsea
Salah only made 19 appearances for the Blues, scoring goals against Arsenal and Stoke City in a bit-part role in his first half-season at the club in the Premier League.
However, it was only his loan move to Fiorentina that finally saw him flourish in a major European league after time spent at Swiss outfit Basel.
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That led to a move to Liverpool, where a nine-year stint has seen Salah score 255 goals in the red shirt, as well as registering 122 assists, winning the Champions League, two Premier League trophies, an FA Cup and a League Cup trophy.
It could have been so incredibly different had he flourished at Chelsea, and Mourinho may have a lot to answer for - though the form of Willian and Eden Hazard on the wings means his decision was understandable.