• Highly rated Egyptian moves to Stamford Bridge from Basel
• £11m transfer concludes Chelsea’s January transfer business

José Mourinho has confirmed the arrival of promising Basel winger Mohamed Salah at Chelsea. The deal is for a reported fee of £11m, as Chelsea beat Liverpool to the 21-year-old’s signature. Following news that a fee had been agreed between the two clubs, Mourinho confirmed that the deal was done ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup game against Stoke City.

Speaking on Friday, Mourinho spoke of his admiration for Salah and the potential of the player, and said the Blues made their move quickly.

“I like the fact that he can play the same way our attacking players do, which is players with adaptability, to play right, left, or behind the striker,” Mourinho said.

“He’s young, he’s fast, he’s creative, he’s enthusiastic. When we analysed him he looks the kind of humble personality on the pitch, ready to work for the team and to work and to adapt himself to a new life.”

“We think with him and André Schürrle, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian we will be fine. We lose an experienced top player like Juan Mata, but we bring in a young player with great potential.

“Willian did that transition from his previous world to the top world of football. Hopefully, if Salah comes, he can do the same. He has some experience in Europe, the Europa League, Champions League, so he’s not a naive boy arriving in the jungle.”

“Hopefully he comes and hopefully with the talented players we have around in the same positions we all can develop together.”

Salah has played against Chelsea four times in the last 12 months, scoring three times – including in Basel’s two Champions League Group E victories over Mourinho’s men earlier this season.

Mourinho also believes Salah is joining the right club to grow as a person and as a player after he was caught up in controversy during his time at Basel.

During a two-legged Champions League qualifier between the Swiss side and Maccabi Tel Aviv last August, Salah allegedly refused to shake hands – while there were also comments attributed to him expressing an anti-Israeli sentiment.

Salah insisted the comments were fictitious and his actions were a result of external pressures. Mourinho has promised to nurture the 21-year-old at Chelsea, who are owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who is Jewish.

“It’s not a concern, because we know the club Chelsea is, I know the manager I am. I know that Chelsea is capable of helping people and making people feel the way we think people should feel, which is in football and in life be open and respectful to every ethnicity, to every religion” Mourinho said.

“People have the right to be what they are. Chelsea as a club, and me as a manager, we will be more than ready to help him.”

The Chelsea manager had previously indicated that the signing of Salah would be Chelsea’s last business of the January transfer window, following the arrival of midfielder Nemanja Matić from Benfica.

• Chelsea
• José Mourinho
• Basel
• Transfer window

Niall McVeigh

theguardian.com