Jamie Carragher does not think Mohamed Salah will play for Liverpool next season, but believes the forward should postpone any immediate thoughts of leaving the club in January to ensure a deserved exit to Anfield at the end of the season.
Salah appeared emotional during what appeared to be a lap of thanks after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brighton at Anfield, ahead of his appearance with Egypt in the African Cup of Nations.
The 33-year-old started on the bench against Brighton but was introduced midway through the first half and provided an assist for Hugo Ekitike. He was involved in 277 goals for the Reds in the Premier League, more than any other player managed at a single club.
It remains to be seen whether this will be his final contribution for Liverpool, but Carragher, who was highly critical of the player last week when he said he had been “thrown under the bus” by manager Arne Slott, urged Salah to put aside his differences with Slott, return from the Africa Cup of Nations at the end of January, live up to his achievements and receive the red card he deserves.
“I don’t think Salah will play for Liverpool next season.”
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Watch for free: Highlights of Liverpool vs. Brighton’s Premier League victory.
“I don’t think Salah will be playing for Liverpool next season,” Carragher said on Monday Night Football.
“The big thing on my mind is whether I’ll be able to see him between now and the end of the season.
“We know he is currently participating in AFCON, which is scheduled to end in mid-January.
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Mohamed Salah returns for Liverpool against Brighton.
“It’s clear he has a problem with Arne Slott. I give credit to the manager because he could have easily said that Salah won’t be involved against Brighton. He could have said, ‘We’ll resolve the issue after AFCON.’
“But no, he thought it was bigger than him, it was about the team and it was more important that Salah was on the bench and contributed.
“Last week I was giving advice to Salah and his agent and I will do it again because what Salah showed me at the end of the game was a thank you. He was a bit emotional and we probably don’t know if this will be his last time at Anfield.
“If he is thinking of moving, I would urge him to think again because there is talk that if he were to move now it would be to the Saudi League, which is talked about over there but not elsewhere except when the transfer window is open.
“Salah is not going to leave Liverpool for Real Madrid or Barcelona. It’s the Saudi league.
“Liverpool could be in the FA Cup final or the Champions League final in the second half of the season. Can you imagine Liverpool playing in the Champions League final in Budapest, regardless of which team Salah plays for in Saudi Arabia?”
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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed to the media after their 2-0 home win against Brighton that he has told Mohamed Salah he wants him to stay.
“He will regret quitting in January.”
Carragher continued: “When I come back at the end of January, I have three months. It might not work out with the manager, but I’m sure he’ll start some games. He’ll come on in some games, he won’t play in others, but what we saw at Anfield at the weekend was better than what we saw at Elland Road.”
“Does Salah deserve more than that as a Liverpool player? He deserves a guard of honor, he deserves to play in the Kop, he deserves to bring his family to the pitch. He deserves to be celebrated in his final game for everything he has done as a Liverpool player.”
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The Sunday Supplement covers the back page and the fallout from Mohamed Salah’s return to the Liverpool team that beat Brighton at Anfield, asking: “Did he play his last game for the club?”
“Put aside the differences with the manager and think about the next three or four months at Liverpool. The worst that can happen is that he gets a mass red card. The best that can happen is that he plays in the Champions League final with his team-mates in Budapest.”
“If he was sitting in Saudi Arabia watching Liverpool, he would really regret it.”
