Transfer news
Chelsea have announced that they have reached an agreement with FC Basel for Mohamed Salah.
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Liverpool have been chasing a deal for the 21-year-old, who can also play in midfield, for several months, but they are set to lose out on the Egypt international.
A statement on the Blues’ official website read: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm an agreement has been reached with FC Basel for the transfer of their 21-year-old attacking midfielder Mohamed Salah.
“The move is subject to the Egyptian international agreeing personal terms and completing a medical examination.”
Basel are thought to have been seeking around 12 million pounds for Salah, and Chelsea were in a position to put in a higher offer for him as they prepare to sell Juan Mata to Manchester United for 37 million pounds.
It appears increasingly unlikely that Reds boss Brendan Rodgers will add to his squad before the transfer window shuts at the end of January.
Asked on Thursday about the prospect of bringing in Salah or anyone else, Rodgers said: “Nothing as of yet. There have obviously been targets that we have looked at, but there’s nothing imminent.”
Salah struck the equaliser when the Swiss champions earned a 2-1 win at Chelsea in the Champions League on Sept. 18 and then got the only goal in a 1-0 victory at home to Jose Mourinho’s side on Nov. 26.
However, Basel failed to make it through the group and dropped into the Europa League, in which they will play Maccabi Tel Aviv over two legs in February.