Paul Merson has defended Chelsea’s decision to allow Mohamed Salah to leave Stamford Bridge in 2014.

The Egypt international has been one of the Premier League’s best players in the 2017-18 season so far following his summer move to Liverpool FC from AS Roma.

Salah scored 14 times in 18 games in the English top flight to lead the goal-scoring charts ahead of Tottenham centre-forward Harry Kane and Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku.

The 25-year-old has also scored six times in the Champions League this season to help the Reds set up a last-16 meeting with Portuguese giants FC Porto.

The African forward moved to Chelsea in a £11m deal from Swiss side Basel in 2014 but Salah struggled to leave his mark at Stamford Bridge under Jose Mourinho.

Salah cut his losses and completed a loan move to Fiorentina before he went to AS Roma and made his loan switch permanent in 2016.

Former Arsenal midfielder Merson believes Salah wasn’t good enough to command a place in the Chelsea team and defended the Blues’ decision to allow the Egypt forward to leave.

“People say they can’t believe Chelsea let Salah go; he didn’t fit Chelsea,” Merson told Sky Sports.

“It’s like Lukaku didn’t fit Chelsea. He could’ve gone there but he looked and that and though: ‘No, I’m going to be playing wing-back at Chelsea. I want to play in midfield’.”

Salah was one of four new signings at Liverpool FC in the summer transfer window.

Chelsea have been criticised for allowing top Premier League talents leave the west London club following the emergence of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku as world-class players.

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