Salah as good Cuadrado - Montella

Posted Friday, February 27, 2015 by Goal.com

The Fiorentina coach is delighted with the player they brought on loan to Chelsea in exchange for the Colombian attacker following their Europa League win over Tottenham

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella says his club can be delighted with the deal that took Juan Cuadrado to Chelsea, insisting his side have found a gem in Mohamed Salah.

The Egypt international arrived in Florence on loan as part of the €33 million deal that took Colombia international Cuadrado to London in the winter break.

And after Salah scored his side’s second goal in a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur that secured Fiorentina’s passage into the last-16 of the Europa League, Montella struggled to split the two flying wingers.

"Salah is a player that, even if he takes some breaks, is devastating over 40 or 50 yards," Montella said.

"Who did better out of the Cuadrado exchange? Fiorentina earned a lot of money and, on the pitch, they are similar players."

Fiorentina will now turn their attention to closing the six-point gap on Napoli and Champions League qualification, starting with a trip to Inter this weekend.

Montella added: "We are satisfied, great credit is due to the players and to all the fans. There's little time to enjoy it, though, as on Sunday we have a very important match.

"Inter are certainly going through a really good spell in which they have rediscovered their confidence and self-esteem."