Mohamed Salah could surprisingly find himself looking for a new club this winter after souring his relationship with Liverpool.
The veteran winger spoke out defiantly against the club where he has become a legend after spending three matches warming the bench.
It has since been confirmed that Salah really could leave Liverpool in January, with Saudi Arabia his most probable destination.
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However, with the Egyptian unexpectedly on the market, there will doubtless be a number of clubs across Europe looking to see whether a deal could be possible.
There are not many who Salah would view as being worthy of him joining, but as revealed during his contract negotiations earlier this year, Chelsea could be one of them.
Mohamed Salah ‘intrigued’ by Chelsea return
Part of why Salah was so desperate to join Liverpool in 2017 was in order to prove to Chelsea that they were wrong to let him leave two years earlier.
It has been clear for years that Salah’s success is regularly fuelled by a need to silence doubters and complete unfinished business.
READ MORE: How Mohamed Salah felt the day after his controversial interview following Liverpool’s draw vs Leeds
Perhaps his biggest loose end remains at Chelsea, where many are still unconvinced that he could have been a success at Stamford Bridge.
Maybe it should not have been a surprise then, to read that Salah was ‘intrigued’ by the prospect of re-joining Chelsea at the expiry of his contract last summer.
The Athletic reported in April that while the Liverpool icon would not have ‘trashed his reputation’ by joining Manchester United or City, he would potentially have considered a return to Chelsea.
The move would reportedly have been dependent on the Blues abandoning a new approach of signing young players for the first-team, however, and was made a moot point as Liverpool secured Salah’s new contract regardless.
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Could Salah join Chelsea in 2026?
If Salah was interested in joining Chelsea barely six months ago, there is no reason to suggest he would not feel the same in 2026.
The 33-year-old could easily pick up a big pay-day in Saudi Arabia, but he has also made it clear that he wishes to carry on playing at the top level as long as possible.
Given how broken he appears to feel the relationship with Liverpool is, you can imagine how a move to Chelsea would appeal to Salah.
However, it takes two to tango, and it seems unlikely that the Blues would be keen on Salah. They have an abundance of wingers in Enzo Maresca’s squad and it would take a hefty fee to get Salah out of Liverpool. On a free transfer, maybe things would be different, but it is hard to see it happening in these circumstances.
As for trashing a legacy, Salah should have a word with Fernando Torres and see whether swapping Liverpool for Chelsea is really worth it in the long run.
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