Jamie Carragher does not see Mohamed Salah playing for Liverpool next season, but believes any immediate thoughts of him leaving the club in January should be postponed to secure a proper Anfield exit at the end of the season.
Salah looked emotional as he prepared to play for Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brighton at Anfield.
The 33-year-old started on the bench against Brighton but was introduced in the first half and provided an assist for Hugo Ekitiche. His involvement in goal for the Reds in the Premier League was up to 277 times, more than any other player has managed for a single club.
It remains to be seen whether that will be his final contribution for Liverpool, but Carragher, who last week slammed claims the forward was “thrown under the bus” by manager Arne Slot, urged Salah to put aside his differences with Slot and return to action at the Africa Cup of Nations at the end of January to preserve his legacy and get the send-off he deserves.
‘I don’t see Salah playing for Liverpool next season’
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WATCH FREE: Highlights from Liverpool’s win over Brighton in the Premier League.
“I can’t see Salah playing for Liverpool next season,” Carragher said. Monday Night Football.
“The biggest question in my mind is whether we will see him between now and the end of the season.
“We know he will be attending AFCON and it will end in mid-January.
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Mohamed Salah returns to Liverpool against Brighton.
“It’s clear he has a problem with the Arne slot. I’d like to give credit to the manager because he could have easily said Salah wasn’t involved against Brighton. He could have said ‘we’ll sort it out after AFCON’.”
“But no, he thought it was bigger than himself, it’s about the team and it’s more important that Salah was on the bench and what he contributed.”
“Last week I gave advice to Salah and his agent and I will do so again because his appearance at the end of the game showed his gratitude. He was a bit emotional and probably not sure if it was his last time at Anfield.
“If he is thinking about moving, I would advise him to think again, because if he moves now he will go to the Saudi League. The Saudi League is not mentioned anywhere else except when the transfer window opens.”
“Salah will not move from Liverpool to Real Madrid or Barcelona, it is the Saudi league.”
“Liverpool could reach the FA Cup final or the Champions League final later in the season. Can you imagine Liverpool playing in the Champions League final in Budapest, no matter which team Salah plays for in Saudi Arabia?”
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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told the media after the side’s 2-0 home win over Brighton that he told Mohamed Salah he wanted to stay.
‘He will regret leaving in January’
Carragher continued: “When I come back at the end of January there will be three months. I may not get along with the manager but I will start some games. In some games I will come on as a substitute and in others I will not come on. But what we saw at Anfield at the weekend was better than what we saw at Elland Road.
“Does Salah deserve more as a Liverpool player? He deserves to be honored, he deserves to play on the Kop, he deserves to bring his family to the stadium. He deserves to be celebrated in his last game for everything he has achieved as a Liverpool player.
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The Sunday Supplement takes a look at the back page and the fallout from Mohamed Salah’s return to the Liverpool side that beat Brighton at Anfield and asks: Has he played his last game for the club?
“Put aside your differences with the manager and think about three or four months at Liverpool. The worst that can happen is that he gets sent off in a big way. The best that can happen is that he plays the Champions League final in Budapest with his team-mates.”
“If he had sat in Saudi Arabia and watched Liverpool play, he would have regretted it.”
