When ACF Fiorentina allowed star man Juan Cuadrado to complete his winter transfer to Chelsea FC, they did so on one condition – that they got Mohamed Salah on loan as part of the deal.
The Egypt winger, no stranger to the UEFA Europa League from his FC Basel 1893 days, may not have been a like-for-like replacement for Cuadrado, but he was arguably as close a fit as possible for a club anxious to fill the fleet-footed Colombian’s boots.
While Cuadrado liked to hug the touchline, punishing defenders with his pace and close control with the ball at his feet, Salah adds new dimensions to the Viola’s game. He prefers to be more involved, not sticking so much to a predefined posi…