Jamie Carragher believes Mohamed Salah will likely leave Liverpool next season, but he is urging the forward to delay any immediate move and remain at Anfield until the end of the current campaign to earn a proper farewell.
Salah looked emotional during a lap of appreciation after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brighton. He began the match on the bench, came on in the first half and set up Hugo Ekitike, taking his Premier League goal involvements for one club to 277 (188 goals, 89 assists) — one more than Wayne Rooney’s 276 for Manchester United (183 goals, 93 assists). Salah now heads off to join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations in mid-January.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher praised manager Arne Slot for including Salah at Brighton and for prioritising the team by making the forward available. Although Carragher has previously criticised Salah after the player said he felt ‘thrown under a bus’ by Slot, he said any personal differences should be put to one side so Salah can finish the season with Liverpool.
Carragher warned that a January transfer — with Saudi clubs widely tipped as the most likely destination rather than Real Madrid or Barcelona — could mean Salah misses significant moments later this season. He argued Salah deserves the chance for a fitting send-off: a guard of honour, a presentation in the Kop and the opportunity to bring his family onto the pitch. Staying, Carragher said, could also mean appearing in major cup finals or lifting silverware with the Reds before departing — experiences a player could later regret missing if he leaves midseason.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has also urged Salah to stay, and Carragher appealed directly to the player and his agent to reconsider any immediate exit. The former Liverpool defender summed up the choice as simple: the worst outcome is a big farewell and the best is going out with trophies.