Jamie Carragher has criticised Mohamed Salah's move to Trabzonspor, insisting that his fellow Liverpool legend is better than the Turkish Super Lig. The Egyptian left the Reds earlier this summer after the player and club mutually agreed to terminate the final year of his contract.
The 34-year-old failed to reach his previous consistent heights during a below-par final season on Merseyside as he scored just 12 goals. He also made headlines after speaking out against head coach Arne Slot at the start of December after finding himself dropped to the bench.
Carragher's Disbelief at Salah's Choice
Salah had been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, while switches to the MLS or Italy were also mooted prior to his transfer to Trabzonspor. Carragher believes the forward's wage demands might have cost him a move to a more esteemed club as he shared his disbelief that Salah had made the move to Turkey rather than one of the Italian giants in particular.
“I never believed he was going to go to Saudi, because number one, he's too good for that,” he told Football Ramble. “I think he can be playing in Serie A. Turkey for me feels a level too low.
“I was convinced he'd end up at an AC Milan or Juventus or somewhere like that, maybe his wages were a problem.
“Looking at him, I don't know him, obviously have never spoken to him. But he's like Ronaldo, he's so driven, his numbers mean so much to him. I thought, he can still do this in Turkey by the way, but I thought he'd want to play at a real prestigious club.
“Obviously his wage demands have put a few people off but I thought he might almost curb those demands a little bit to almost get a better club. To go to an AC Milan or Juventus or whoever it may be, play at the San Siro, still playing in big games, still playing in Europe. Turkey just feels like... I just think he's better than that.”
Lovren's Defence of Salah
Carragher became embroiled in a very public war of words with Salah during the Egyptian's final season at Liverpool as the forward took issue with the former defender's frequent criticisms of him while on punditry duty.
Following Salah's Anfield exit, his close friend and ex-Reds defender Dejan Lovren slammed Carragher as he labelled his criticism of the 34-year-old as 'disgusting'.
"It's not harsh. It's disgusting," he told Middle Eastern outlet WinWin back in June. "Why didn't they talk about him like this for the past eight or nine years? Tell me," he said. "Okay, one season, and then he's the target again. There are so many other issues."
"Some pundits do it just to attract attention, maybe because they haven't succeeded in other areas of their lives, so now they need to perform well. Sometimes people put Mo in the spotlight, and then the easy part is, like I said... especially Carragher, he says whatever he wants."
"I always said he should tell him this to his face, say all these things to Mo to his face. He'll never say that. Because I know he never will, because he never said it to me. He's talked badly about me too, but he never said that to me anyway."
"You know, he's just performing on TV and he gets paid for it, so he needs to perform this way. But whatever, it just hurts me because I know deep down who Mo is. Because he's a really good guy inside, with a good mind and a good heart. I honestly don't understand. He deserves so much better."
