Jamie Carragher has questioned Mohamed Salah’s decision to join Trabzonspor, saying the Egypt forward was good enough to play in Serie A and should have been considering established clubs such as Juventus or Milan.
Salah has signed a two-year contract with the Turkish club worth an annual salary of 22m euros. The move brings to an end a golden period in English football during which he played for Liverpool.
The transfer has caused widespread discussion across European football, with Carragher, one of Liverpool’s most prominent former defenders, expressing surprise that Salah chose the Turkish league despite his ability and ambitions.
Speaking on the Football Ramble podcast on Wednesday, Carragher said: “I think Mohamed Salah could easily have played in the Italian league, rather than in a league below his level such as the Turkish league.”
Carragher then compared Salah’s outlook with that of Cristiano Ronaldo, suggesting that personal targets and statistical achievements remain highly important to the forward.
“Salah is like Ronaldo, he has great ambition and his numbers mean a lot to him,” Carragher said. “He is indeed capable of achieving that in the Turkish league, but I expected to see him at one of the big clubs such as Juventus or Milan.”
The former England defender did not rule out financial considerations having influenced the transfer. He suggested Salah’s wage demands may have discouraged some of Europe’s leading clubs from pursuing an agreement.
“Perhaps his financial demands were the reason some clubs were reluctant to negotiate with him,” Carragher added.
Salah’s move to Trabzonspor has divided opinion among analysts and supporters. Some view the transfer as a new challenge and an opportunity for the forward to lead an ambitious project in Turkey. Others regard it as a step backwards for a player who, in their view, continues to perform at a level that would allow him to compete at the highest levels of European football.
The agreement with Trabzonspor represents a significant change after Salah’s long spell in England with Liverpool. His arrival in Turkey is being seen as one of the most eye-catching moves in European football, while Carragher’s comments have intensified the debate over whether the forward could have continued his career at a major club in one of Europe’s leading leagues.
Although Carragher acknowledged that Salah could still produce strong personal figures in the Turkish league, his central argument was that the player’s quality and ambition appeared better suited to a club such as Juventus or Milan. The former Liverpool defender therefore considers the transfer a surprising choice rather than an obvious next step for a forward who remains capable of competing at the top level.
