CHELSEA manager Frank Lampard has appeared to hit out at former boss Jose Mourinho for allowing Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah to leave Stamford Bridge.
Spurs boss Mourinho worked with the star pair at the beginning of his second spell in west London.
Frank Lampard has aimed a subtle dig at Jose Mourinho over the sales of Mo Salah and Kevin De BruyneCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
But both were on the fringes of the squad and were given few opportunities to impress in Blue.
De Bruyne was sold to Wolfsburg for just £18m in 2014 and Salah left for Roma in 2016 in a £12million deal.
Since returning to the Premier League – for Man City and Liverpool – the pair have become two of the very best in the world.
And Lampard, who got one over his old boss with a brilliant 2-0 win on Sunday, hinted that Mourinho allowed the star pair to slip through his fingers.
Speaking ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Southampton, he said: “If we’re not patient and if we don’t stick with the players, we might end up in a situation like we were before where absolute top, world-class players in this moment were at Chelsea when they were 20, 21 and managers didn’t stick with them so much then.
“I’m in a position where I’m going to stick with them.”
Mourinho has previously said that it’s not his fault Salah left Chelsea.
Kevin De Bruyne was sold for just £18m to Wolfsburg in 2013Credit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
Mo Salah was sold to Roma for only £12m in 2016Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
“When the club decided to sell him, it was not me,” the Portuguese said in January.
“I bought him, I didn’t sell him, and my relationship with him was good, is good.
“I think that he doesn’t regret that move because everything went well.
“Everything went well for him and the progression went well for him but, at that moment, he was just a kid with a huge desire to play every week, every minute and we couldn’t give him it.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
