Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Salah’s transfer had been on Mourinho’s agenda for quite some time.

Back in September of last year, after Chelsea’s Champions League group stage opener against Basel, Mourinho had already instructed his top scout to keep close tabs on the Egyptian forward.

From the initial observations to detailed analytical reports, the scouts confirmed that this young Egyptian wasn’t just having a flash-in-the-pan moment in Europe’s top competition—he had genuine, long-term potential. Once Mourinho was convinced, he gave the green light to pursue the signing.

After all, Chelsea lacked a true left-footed winger with explosive speed at the time.

While De Bruyne could play centrally or out wide, his talent wasn’t fully utilized on the flanks. Mourinho believed the number eight role was De Bruyne’s true calling.

The only reason De Bruyne had been playing on the wing was to accommodate Lampard’s presence in the starting eleven.

But Lampard wasn’t getting any younger, and Mourinho knew that by next season, the veteran would likely be unable to compete with the rising De Bruyne.

The plan was simple—move De Bruyne into a central role next season, pairing him with Leon to create an ideal midfield duo.

If Salah could adapt to the Premier League and break through, there would be no positional conflict between him and De Bruyne. The two could coexist comfortably.

And it was clear Salah had received assurances from Mourinho regarding his future development.

Over the past few days, the curly-haired Egyptian had been sticking close to Leon, grinning cheerfully the entire time.

By contrast, Harry Maguire, who had arrived from Sheffield United, was noticeably more reserved.

Mourinho’s interest in Maguire came about almost by accident.

In early December, coaches Holland and Ruiz were reviewing data on lower-league teams that had made it to the second round of the FA Cup. Chelsea would be entering the third round in early January, and even though the coaching staff didn’t need to prepare elaborate tactical plans for such opponents, a basic understanding was still necessary.

Holland had been compiling footage of goals scored by teams from League One and below who had progressed to the third round. That’s how they stumbled upon Sheffield United’s two goals against Cambridge United.

One of those goals came from a powerful header by a young center-back—Maguire.

From there, Mourinho reviewed Holland and Ruiz’s compiled stats and reports on Maguire.

”Made his first-team debut at 18, having been promoted at 17. Man of the Match on debut. In the 2011–12 season, played 56 matches, scored one goal and provided five assists. Named in BBC’s League One Team of the Season. Followed it up with 53 appearances and 5 goals in 2012–13. Voted Sheffield United’s Player of the Season two years running...”

Mourinho’s first reaction upon reading the report was regret.

Here was a strong, durable, and promising young defender—one who had been Man of the Match in his Championship debut at just 18. A rare gem.

Unfortunately, he had stayed on with Sheffield United after they were relegated to League One, which, to Mourinho, seemed a waste of talent.

Still, Maguire’s performances since proved that he wasn’t content to fade away in the lower divisions. He wanted to help his hometown club return to the Championship—or even reach the Premier League.

But the current state of Sheffield United didn’t match his ambition.

Unless the club unearthed a brilliant young striker to pair with him, relying on Maguire alone wasn’t going to get them promoted. The odds were stacked against him.

Standing nearly 1.95 meters tall, with a strong physical profile and, according to Holland’s notes, decent ball-playing skills, Maguire checked all the right boxes.

Of course, Mourinho had no intention of keeping Maguire in the first team right away. The defender wasn’t ready for that level yet—but his upside was enormous.

His physical attributes made him dominant in aerial duels, both defensively and during set pieces. With his solid frame and potential to develop into a commanding presence, a loan to a mid-table Championship side in the second half of the season would do him wonders.

Come summer, they’d reassess his progress. If all went well…

Mourinho didn’t drag his feet.

In mid-December, he instructed the club to contact Sheffield United directly.

Once the club gave the green light, Mourinho personally called Maguire and arranged a meeting with him and his parents—right in Sheffield.

The moment Mourinho appeared at their home, both Maguire and his family were overwhelmed with emotion.

After all, Maguire was just a League One defender. His reputation barely extended beyond League One and the Championship.

But Mourinho? The top manager in world football.

To have such a man appear in person and say:

”You’ve got real potential, kid. Come with me. Make your name. Break into the England national team. You’ve got what it takes.”

How could a 20-year-old resist?

The deal was done in record time. Even Sheffield United didn’t hesitate much—they knew they couldn’t stand in the way of Maguire’s future. They released him with a mix of gratitude and reluctance.

Of course, the transfer also involved Chelsea loaning out two academy players to Sheffield United, along with a £3 million fee.

With Salah and Maguire now officially Chelsea players, the club made no further moves in the transfer market.

Chelsea didn’t lack players. The squad was deep. These two signings were investments for the future—something even the senior players understood.

If Mourinho had splurged on two elite players, it might have stirred unrest or whispers in the locker room.

Instead, the two new faces—both full of potential—were handed straight over to Leon, who was busy training hard at Cobham.

At first, both Salah and Maguire were caught off guard.

Leon was welcoming and approachable. He guided them through training, helped them adapt, and even treated them to meals.

After a couple of days, that initial sense of disbelief turned into respect and admiration.

Leon was the perfect big brother figure. No superstar airs, just a down-to-earth guy. New players naturally gravitated toward him.

Both Salah and Maguire listened attentively whenever Leon offered advice during training.

They could already feel they were in the right place, learning from the right people—and that their journey with Chelsea had only just begun.

Leon’s advice to Salah was clear—he needed to work more on his right foot, reduce his tendency to hold onto the ball too long, and look to coordinate with teammates more often.

To Maguire, Leon emphasized that it wasn’t all about bulking up and physical clashes. He needed to avoid overloading his body and instead follow the club’s medical team’s guidance to fine-tune his diet. At the same time, he should focus more on flexibility and balance training to keep himself light and agile while maintaining a healthy weight.

These were the kind of suggestions that struck directly at the hearts of the two young men, leaving both Salah and Maguire with the impression that Leon wasn’t just a big name—but a genuinely good guy.

Yes, a kind and patient big brother~

On the afternoon of January 5th, as Chelsea traveled away to face Coventry in the third round of the FA Cup, Leon, the ”big brother” to so many of the club’s young players, also joined the squad.

Because the opponent, Coventry, was merely a League One team, Mourinho decided to rotate heavily. Apart from Leon and David Luiz on the bench as experienced backups, the rest of Chelsea’s matchday squad was made up entirely of rotation players and academy youth—this included the two new signings, Maguire and Salah.

Maguire started on the bench, while Salah was handed his first start.

In the 90 minutes of fierce competition, Chelsea faced a deep, defensive Coventry side. It was Torres, long absent from the starting XI, who seized the spotlight, netting a hat-trick.

Van Ginkel contributed with both a goal and an assist.

Although Salah didn’t get on the scoresheet, he used his pace and dribbling to tear into Coventry’s flanks and provided a beautiful assist for one of Torres’ goals in the second half.

Having secured a two-goal lead in the first half, Mourinho subbed on Maguire for Gary Cahill to give the new signing his first taste of action.

Though he was still gelling with his teammates, Maguire’s familiarity with League One opposition showed. He leaned on his defensive strengths and made his presence felt.

Chelsea fans watched as the young center-back stood like a fortress in the box, winning every aerial duel with a 100% success rate. They were thoroughly impressed with the club’s investment.

With that kind of dominance in the air, even if Maguire didn’t grow into a Premier League superstar, he already looked like an excellent rotational option for dealing with traditional target men.

Satisfied with their ”test run” of Maguire and their resounding win over Coventry, Chelsea returned triumphantly to London.

The following day, January 6th, most of the senior squad rested while the younger players reported back to Cobham for training.

Two days later, Chelsea traveled to face West Ham United in the first leg of the League Cup semifinals.

The previous day, in the other semifinal, Manchester City had smashed local rivals Manchester United 4–1. Pro-City media immediately ran headlines like: ”See You in the League Cup Final, Chelsea.”

To West Ham, Chelsea’s current opponent, such headlines were flat-out disrespectful.

Mourinho made that clear during the pre-match press conference.

”Yes, West Ham may be struggling a bit in the league standings right now,” Mourinho said, ”but we all know that West Ham is a tough and gritty Premier League side.”

”We won’t show them the kind of disrespect that some of the media have. This is their home ground, and without a doubt, their players will fight with pride for their badge and their fans.”

”We’ve come to Upton Park with 100% respect. It will be a tough match, and we’ll give our all to deliver an exciting performance for the fans…”

His words soothed many West Ham fans and even the players themselves.

And Mourinho wasn’t bluffing—he and his team had genuinely brought full respect to Upton Park.

Which meant: a full-strength lineup, and full throttle from the opening whistle.

Chelsea immediately took control, pushing high and hard, tearing into West Ham’s backline. Within the first five minutes, they had already produced two dangerous shots.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was dumbfounded.

So… this was what Mourinho meant by ”respect”?

He would’ve much preferred Mourinho to underestimate his team just a little.

But Mourinho had made up his mind—if he was going to respect West Ham, he’d do it thoroughly.

Before half an hour had passed, Chelsea had already netted two goals, slicing through West Ham’s defense like a hot knife through butter.

The home crowd at Upton Park was left in stunned silence, save for the raucous Chelsea fans.

Compared to their previous meeting in the league, West Ham had clearly been weakened by the brutal holiday schedule. Key players were missing, and their squad was stretched thin.

It was only through sheer grit, tight defending, and a stroke of luck that they’d edged past Tottenham in the previous round to even reach the semifinals.

But tonight, Chelsea dismantled them—starting in midfield.

Leon and Matić pushed deep into West Ham’s half, applying relentless pressure. The moment Chelsea lost possession, the two led the charge in initiating an immediate counter-press.

West Ham didn’t just fail to launch counterattacks—they couldn’t even hold onto the ball. Their possession in the first half barely scraped 15%.

It was a nightmare for the home fans, who had to watch as Chelsea tore their team to pieces.

After Hazard scored in first-half stoppage time to make it three, West Ham’s players were all but deflated.

Just seven minutes into the second half, Ibrahimović netted his second of the match.

From then on, the match became all about one thing: helping Ibra complete his hat-trick.

Even Lukaku got in on the act, scoring his second of the night. But in the 83rd minute, it was finally Ibrahimović who finished things off, volleying in Leon’s delightful lofted pass.

Final score: Chelsea 6, West Ham 1.

And honestly, if not for the team’s focus on setting up Ibra for his hat-trick, they might not have even scored that many.

As for the one goal they conceded? That was Chelsea’s way of saying ”sorry” for the beatdown.

Following their New Year’s Day stumble, Chelsea had now secured back-to-back wins in both domestic cup competitions.

After the match, in a post-game interview with Sky Sports, Leon offered only a cryptic comment, delivered with a knowing smile.

”Hmm… see you in the League Cup final.”

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