Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho recently shared insights into the departures of both Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah during his tenure with the Blues.
In an episode of The Obi One Podcast alongside former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, Mourinho reflected on the reasons behind the exits of these now iconic Premier League stars.
“To be honest, they left because they wanted to leave. They left because they didn’t want to wait," Mourinho explained. "History proves that their option was good because they’ve had the careers they have and reached a high standard.
“But sometimes kids make decisions like that because they can’t wait, or they don’t have the patience to be calm and to wait for the right moment.”
Mourinho emphasized that the players' decisions were driven by their eagerness to play regularly, a prospect that was limited at Stamford Bridge due to the presence of more competitive stars.
De Bruyne subsequently went on loan to Werder Bremen before a permanent move, while Salah was loaned to Roma before sealing a permanent switch to the Italian club.
Regarding Salah's departure, Mourinho clarified, “When people say I let Salah go, I say exactly the opposite. I bought Salah. I was the one who said, buy that guy.”
Addressing De Bruyne's situation, he stated, “With Kevin, it was very similar. We went to pre-season in Asia, and Kevin was due to go on loan to a German side. I told the club no, I don’t want him out on loan, I want him with me.”
While acknowledging the subsequent success of both players, Mourinho reiterated that he did not force them out, concluding, “Probably other guys will say I pushed them out, but not them.”