Mourinho rules out Salah departure, sees his future at Chelsea

A pre-match press conference just wouldn't be a thing without at least one question about the transfer market. On Friday, Jose Mourinho was asked about the possibility of parting ways with Mohamed Salah in January, and responded with the following:

Jose: 'Salah is a player we like, we trust and he's part of our plans. He's not going anywhere.' #CFC

— Chelsea FC (@chelseafc) December 12, 2014

Salah has shown flashes of game-changing talent, but he's clearly behind quite a few players in the Chelsea pecking order right now. I have little doubt that the club would move him in a heartbeat if the opportunity for a significant upgrade presented itself.

That said, there's little reason to part ways with Salah in January, with so many important fixtures still to be played. The Blues have been virtually injury-free to this point of the season, but all it takes is one bad tackle to make Salah an important member of the squad. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the club decides to allow Salah to find a new home over the summer, but I just can't see any changes being made to the first team mid-season unless a serious injury occurs between now and the close of the window.