Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah targeted by 'begging' Spartak Moscow

Spartak Moscow manager Murat Yakin is ready to "beg" owner Leonid Fedun to sign Chelsea's out-of-favour winger Mohamed Salah when the Russian transfer window opens in January.

Salah joined the Blues in the summer of 2013 from FC Basel but has had a limited impact at Stamford Bridge, failing to make a Premier League start this season for Jose Mourinho's title favourites.

Yakin's side are currently sixth in the Russia Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Zenit St Petersburg after 17 matches, and the boss wants a string of new recruits, including Salah from Chelsea, to help boost the club's attempts to qualify for Europe.

"I want to sign both Salah and Fabian Frei (still at Basel)," Yakin said ahead of the transfer window which opens in Russia on 28 January. "I know both players well. I know the economic situation in Russia is not the best, but the club can afford both players' wages.

"The club president promised a surprise in the upcoming transfer market; I spoke with him about both Salah and Frei and I hope it will happen, that'd be my Christmas present.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get Salah in the team, even if I have to beg for it."

Much of Chelsea's success this season has been down to Mourinho's ability to select a settled team, with Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry, Gary Cahill, Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic, Oscar, Cesc Fabregas and Willian having all made more than 20 appearances.

Many first team players, including Salah, goalkeeper Petr Cech, and midfield pair John Obi Mikel and Ramires, have been forced to play a peripheral role this term as a result, but Mourinho has hinted that he is unwilling to allow those players leave the club next month such is their importance to Chelsea.

"It's the concept of helping the team," he said. "Everybody has to be ready to sacrifice for the team, to give everything for the team, to think about the team and not to be selfish. This is the way I want a team to be.

"The one that comes on in the last five minutes, he's a crucial player. If he makes a mistake the team lose; if he doesn't, the team wins. Everybody wins, everybody loses.

"I want a short squad. In a short squad, everybody is important. I need every player. And when I sign a player, I don't say 'it's you plus 10'. I say 'it's you plus 21 or 22'.

"You have to know the squad is good at Chelsea. If you're at a Chelsea as a goalkeeper, you can't imagine that you're the only good goalkeeper. It's the same for the strikers. For me, all of this is very normal."