Carragher Questions Salah's Trabzonspor Move, Citing Ronaldo Parallel

Former LiverpoolTeam·Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has publicly criticised Mohamed SalahPlayer·Mohamed Salah's decision to join Turkish club Trabzonspor, arguing that the Egyptian forward is "too good" for the Turkish Süper Lig. Carragher suggested Salah should have pursued a move to a more prestigious European club, drawing a parallel to Cristiano RonaldoPlayer·Cristiano Ronaldo's career drive.

Salah officially joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer after mutually agreeing with LiverpoolTeam·Liverpool to terminate the final year of his contract at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season. This move followed a period where Salah, 34, experienced a notable decline in performance during his final campaign at Anfield, scoring just 12 goals. His season was also marked by public comments against then-head coach Arne SlotCoach·Arne Slot in December 2025, after finding himself dropped to the bench, with Salah claiming his relationship with Slot was non-existent.

Speaking on the Football Ramble podcast, Carragher articulated his surprise. "I never believed he was going to go to Saudi, because number one, he's too good for that. I think he can be playing in Serie ACompetition·Serie A. Turkey for me feels a level too low." He continued, "I was convinced he'd end up at an AC MilanTeam·AC Milan or JuventusTeam·Juventus or somewhere like that, maybe his wages were a problem." Carragher further elaborated on Salah's ambition, stating, "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."

The former defender speculated that Salah's wage demands might have been a significant factor in him not securing a move to a more esteemed club, suggesting the forward might have needed to curb those demands. Salah's new agreement with Trabzonspor is reportedly a two-year deal, valued at a substantial €17 million per year.

LiverpoolTeam·Liverpool concluded the 2025/26 Premier LeagueCompetition·Premier League season in 5th place with 60 points, securing a spot in the UEFA Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League for the upcoming season due to England receiving an extra place via the European Performance Spot. Head coach Arne SlotCoach·Arne Slot departed his role on May 30, 2026, following the club's 5th-place finish and a season without silverware, which included reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League and FA CupCompetition·FA Cup.