Mohammed Salah was prepared to move to Chelsea before his deal made him the highest-paid player in Liverpool history.
Blues’ new owner Todd Boehly had lined up Reds’ star Salah, 30, as talks stalled over a new three-year deal.
Mo Salah only headed for a new Liverpool deal after they almost doubled his wages to make him their record earner.
It was a major factor in Kop owners FSG coming up with a deal worth almost £400,000 a week.
Salah, through agent Ramy Abbas, had made it clear to Fenway Sports Group that he would consider returning to Stamford Bridge, where he spent two years from 2014-16.
FSG spent almost a year baulking at wage demands beyond the structure that had seen Virgil van Dijk as the club’s top earner on £225,000 a week.
SunSport revealed Liverpool were even prepared to take £60million for Salah rather than let him leave on a free next June at the end of his old deal.
