Egypt international Mohamed Salah is regarded as one of the most talented players to have ever come out of his home country and has been widely tipped to make a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs.
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However, having failed to make a substantial impact at Chelsea since moving from Basel, doubts remain over Salah’s future at the top of the game.
Here, Egyptian football website KingFut.com take on Sport360 in a debate over Salah’s place at the top table.
Share your thoughts in response to the two arguments by using #360debate across social media.
Is Mohamed Salah good enough to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid?
Omar Niyazi
KingFut.com
YES – Mohamed Salah is arguably Egypt’s finest footballing export. The young Pharaoh has gone from strength to strength with solid displays at club level transferring to the national side since leaving El Mokawloon to join Swiss giants FC Basel in 2012. Blessed with electrifying pace, intelligent movement and a keen eye for goal, Salah has long been touted as a potential superstar. While his spell at current English Premier League champions Chelsea was restricted to sporadic substitute appearances, he has been in fine touch since joining Serie A outfit Fiorentina on-loan in January this year. But despite some scintillating performances for La Viola, question marks still remain as to whether he can cut it at the top level of European football.
From humble beginnings, Salah’s move to Europe was one born out of tragedy. Following the Port Said massacre in 2012, involving Al Masry and Al Ahly, the Egyptian Football Association, in coordination with the Egyptian Government, suspended the Egyptian Premier League indefinitely. With an indefinite absence of competitive football, many players looked for moves abroad. Salah’s break came when Basel arranged a friendly with the Egyptian U-23 side in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics. Basel, who had been tracking Salah for some time, were shown a glimpse of his potential in the match as the then 20-year-old scored two goals in a 4-3 win for his side despite only featuring in the second half. A week’s trial followed and the rest is history, Salah signing a four year deal the following week.
His performances in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League, with important goals for his side against teams including Tottenham, Ludogorets and his current employers Chelsea made Europe’s top clubs take note. Salah made 79 appearances for Basel in all competitions, scoring 20 goals and assisting a further 17 in that time, predominantly as a winger.
While only two goals in 13 games at Chelsea belie those statistics, six in 16 in Italy when given greater responsibility shows the immense ability that Salah possesses. While goals and statistics are obviously attractive to prospective employers, it is Salah’s pace that makes him standout. Coupled with his intelligence off the ball, these two attributes form the foundation of a potential world beater.
Mohamed Salah has been nicknamed by the Fiorentina fans as ‘the messi of the pyramids’.
— Chelsea Chief (@TheChelseaChief) June 13, 2015
In his early career, Salah’s finishing was the greatest concern as indecisiveness in front of goal often saw him spurn golden opportunities. This has improved since moving to Chelsea and Fiorentina and due to the nature of his game, Salah is a player who will never be short of chances in front of goal. After all, you have to be there to bury them.
While the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona may be put off by Chelsea’s lack of faith in Salah, he has looked a rejuvenated player in Florence. Going from strength to strength, Salah has become much more of an attacking threat having been afforded a freer, roaming role, by ex Viola coach Vincenzo Montella. The trust and freedom has spurred Salah to more damage at the business end of the pitch and seen rewards both domestically and in European competition.
And if there were any further doubts to Salah’s ability to cut it at a top club, look no further than his international record. A total of 21 goals in 37 Egypt caps is a remarkable return for a 23-year-old. A further 14 assists to add to more than a goal every other game isn’t too bad either.
Despite all the positives though, there are some negatives. Salah’s pace and skill is a joy to behold when he is on form, but when man marked by defenders who can handle his pace he can become predictable. Controversy has also surrounded Salah and his actions in the UEFA Champions League tie against Macaabi Tel Aviv of Israel didn’t sit well with many as he avoided shaking hands with his counterparts shortly after anti-Semitic comments were attributed to the young winger. Salah has strenuously denied making any of the comments, but mixing politics with sport is a dangerous concoction and his ‘fist-pump’ turn at the pre-match handshake rituals in the return leg were not enough.
Salah is still young, and is learning from his mistakes in the past, whilst also developing at quite a rapid rate. Despite his uncertain career at Chelsea, Salah has been positive and has recovered some of his best form at Fiorentina. Offers will surely come for the Pharaoh if Chelsea decides to sell and factoring in his relatively young age and potential for growth, Salah can cut it at the best of clubs in Europe. Hopefully he does.
Barnaby Read
Sport360.com
NO – Mohamed Salah is most certainly a talented footballer. His pace, trickery, selflessness and ability to find himself in glorious positions in the final third are some pretty handy attributes. However, his proficiency, or lack thereof, in front of goal has plagued him since venturing to Europe and this lack of ruthlessness in front of goal mean he is nowhere near ready enough for one of the continent’s top clubs.
Europe’s elite require a player who is more than just a rapid winger who can beat a man on the outside but may or may not deliver an end product. The modern day wideman has been reinvented by the likes of Gareth Bale, Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arjen Robben and Eden Hazard. These players not only contribute, they lead. They are the most integral members of their squads, dictating the tempo of the game, drawing players out of position, creating chances for others and, largely, scoring goals at will.
I think Liverpool did well missing out on Salah #cleankit #missinginaction
— Simon Rattenbury (@SimonRattenbury) February 15, 2014
At this current juncture, Salah is not capable of doing that on these players’ levels. And while he might make a useful impact player when you’re chasing a game, so could a wide number of youth team players or cheaper alternatives from any of the potential markets. With homegrown products and financial fair play restrictions increasingly important to squad setups, Salah isn’t a right fit for the Champions League’s biggest challengers on a number of levels.
Salah’s inability to develop his defensive game saw him frozen out by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and it also wouldn’t sit well at a club like Barcelona whose terrifying front three of Neymar, Suarez and Messi are like sharks smelling blood when the opposition have the ball. While Serie A afforded him the time and space to play more freely and not worry so much about a contribution going back towards his own goal, the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga are not so accommodating.
It is not just Salah’s sporting mindset that must change, but his personality and the way he conducts himself under the microscope of the world’s media that scrutinise the best players of the game at every opportunity. His antics against Israeli side Macaabi Tel Aviv, for one, were negligent at best, racist at worst. Either way it did not paint a pretty image of Salah or his Egyptian roots, where the Jewish faith is at times greeted with vitriol that dates back to the building of the pyramids. While Salah is incredibly marketable as an Arab player and has an immense army of loyal supporters in his homeland, this type of negativity is enough to put off potential suitors if there were still doubts over his temperament and views beyond the Egyptian borders.
@ChelseaStats @ChelseaRumours “@FootballVines: Mohamed Salah isn’t too good at shooting https://t.co/MhcR8WTxiO“
— Steven Magill (@StevenMagill) October 28, 2014
It must be noted that Salah has long refuted claims of anti-Semitism but the mere fact that he has had to do so doesn’t make for good reading. He has also not been involved in any such behaviour on the pitch since facing Tel Aviv in 2014, which bodes well as a sign of a willingness to change on Salah’s part.
That change must also take place on the training ground and on the pitch. The 23-year-old Basyoun native is raw and there is no denying that he has the potential to become a superstar. For now, however, a move to some of European football’s most successful and iconic clubs would prove a waste. It is at this time that Salah needs to be playing regular football, honing his skills and developing his game. Another loan move to a club of Fiorentina’s stature or a permanent deal at a club where he can find his feet would be far more beneficial.
For Salah, it is more a case of biding his time than jumping the gun. With a little patience, the right attitude and direction, he could well become a star on the same footing as some of the illustrious names previously mentioned. For now, he is some way off those stratospheric standards.
