Jamie Carragher has claimed that Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah chose to flirt with Real Madrid and Barcelona to send a message to his current club about the status of his contract.
Usually distant from the media, Salah recently sat down for an interview with Spanish journalists, in which he declined to rule out a transfer to either of the La Liga giants somewhere.
Salah’s words sparked countless rumors suggesting the Egyptian is unhappy with life at Anfield, with some going so far as to suggest he was looking to move away, but Carragher insisted that there was nothing for the fans to worry about.
“Some players have become brand names, and the more discerning fans know the transfer rumors around them don’t come out of nowhere,” Carragher wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
“As we saw last weekend when Salah spoke to a major Spanish newspaper, they are on the news agenda because someone, be it an advisor or the player himself. even, wish. You don’t do an interview with a nearby newspaper. at Real Madrid unless you want to be asked about playing for Real Madrid.
“Naturally, this makes fans suspect that a player is following a predetermined career path, and supporters of a club like Liverpool will never welcome their team as a stepping stone. It’s not that bad, but when there is. There are so many brilliant players sharing a dressing room that it can distinguish one player in popularity polls from those who might be just as coveted, but who don’t publicly crave those transfer links. “
Carragher went on to suggest that Salah was simply pushing for a new contract at Anfield, and fans shouldn’t be worried about their star striker leaving the club next summer.
“Salah’s recent interview fuels the idea that his career comes first,” he continued. “His comments about being upset not to be named captain in a dead rubber against Midtjylland underlined it. They were strange. I – like most fans – didn’t think he should be playing an irrelevant game, let alone the skipper.
“The moment when the player started transfer stories is also strange. My opinion is that it was a message to the owners of Liverpool to offer him a lucrative new deal.
No Boxing Day game, but that should definitely do the trick, Reds…?
A year ago today we beat @LCFC to be 13 points ahead in an incredible performance? ? pic.twitter.com/xaMfiHjxDn
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2020
“Seeing their players courted by La Liga clubs would have affected Liverpool five years ago. Not now. I’m not convinced Madrid and Barca can afford Salah. Investing well over £ 125million on a player who turns 29 this summer is no good business.
“Liverpool are in a different place in 2020 from when [Luis] Suarez, Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso have moved from Anfield to Spain. They left for football reasons. No one who leaves Liverpool today can say they will improve their chances of winning trophies. Philippe Coutinho’s experience at Camp Nou tells us so. “
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