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.”
