Jamie Carragher has hit back with a typically quick-witted response after Mohamed Salah called him ‘obsessed’ for repeatedly discussing his delicate contract situation at Liverpool.
Salah’s future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months, with the 32-year-old forward set to leave on a free transfer in the summer and hinting more than once that this year will be his last on Merseyside.
It’s a similar scenario for both Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold and the latter faced heavy criticism from Carragher in the aftermath of his nightmare showing against Manchester United at the weekend.
Twenty four hours on from Sunday’s 2-2 draw, Carragher found himself at the centre of another pointed exchange, this time with Salah, who converted a 70th-minute penalty at Anfield to go level with Thierry Henry on 175 Premier League goals.
Shortly after the contest, Salah took to social media to share a cryptic picture of himself and his fellow contract rebels. In response, Carragher told the Egyptian to stop playing games and instead ‘take a leaf out of Van Dijk’s book’.
‘You know what I would say? I would say Virgil van Dijk has come out of this whole situation this season, as the captain of the club, in a higher esteem for me,’ the former Liverpool and England defender said on Sky Sports.
‘The way Van Dijk has conducted himself on the pitch, his performances on the pitch, the way he has led the team, the way he was yesterday as well, and he hasn’t got involved in too much around this.
‘It’s obviously a really important time for all three players, we know that. But I think rather than speak about Trent Alexander-Arnold or Mo Salah, I’d probably like to pay tribute to Virgil van Dijk.
‘He’s come across as a real statesman with the way he’s handled it. He’s been asked questions and he’s knocked it away.
‘He’s here to win the league, he wants to do his utmost for Liverpool and fingers crossed he signs. I think the other two could maybe look at Virgil van Dijk and maybe take a leaf out of his book.’
Carragher joked he had ‘always been obsessed’ with Salah (Picture: X/@Carra23)
Less than an hour after Sky Sports shared a clip of Carragher’s comments on X, Salah replied: ‘I’m starting to think you’re obsessed with me [winking face emoji].’
Refusing to let Salah have the last laugh, Carragher fired back: ‘I’ve always been obsessed with you.
‘@MoSalah hopefully that obsession will continue next season [fingers crossed emoji, zany face emoji].’
Clarifying his position on Monday Night Football, Carragher went on: ‘I mean, I have got a Mo Salah obsession… I don’t think it’s the type of obsession that he thinks it is.
‘It’s more of a footballing obsession and watching him in a red shirt.
‘I come in, I get asked a question, I answer as diplomatically as I possibly can… I think, “I’m not going to criticise Mo Salah or Trent Alexander-Arnold, I’m going to rave about how Virgil van Dijk has handled it and I get myself in all sorts of trouble!’
Despite the uncertainty over his future, Salah has enjoyed a magnificent start the season, racking up 18 goals and 13 assists with the Reds sitting six points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.
The former Chelsea and Roma man is currently the bookmakers’ favourite to be named PFA Player of the Year, an award he was won twice before in 2018 and 2022.
The Saudi Pro League has long been mooted as a possible destination for Salah next season, with Al-Ittihad making an unsuccessful bid in excess of £100m for the attacker in 2023.
Speaking on Gary Neville’s Sky Sports podcast in the immediate aftermath of Liverpool’s draw with United, Carragher suggested the club’s frailty at full-back was the ‘one thing’ that could prevent the club from winning the title.
‘People always have a go at Trent defensively and that won’t change but if the speculation does affect him, which it looked like it did today, Liverpool will have to change it,’ he said.
‘Arsenal are better than Liverpool defensively, Liverpool are better going forward, they create more chances and score more goals.
‘But Liverpool in the full bank areas… Andy Robertson is hanging on for dear life, he’s been a legend for this club but it feels like he’s involved in a lot of goals at the minute, he just feels half a yard short.
‘If Trent is having problems as well on the other side that puts an awful lot of pressure on the middle two.
‘Virgil van Dijk saved Liverpool a lot today, he’s probably having to work too hard, and that’s the one thing that can stop Liverpool from winning the league, the full-back areas.’
Carragher is hoping Liverpool use the January transfer market to strengthen Arne Slot’s squad for a title charge in the second half of the season.
‘Liverpool looked really strong defensively earlier in the season but they’re starting to leak goals and that’s my worry with the team and the full-back areas,’ he continued.
‘It doesn’t sound like they will but I still feel Liverpool need to buy a defender in January.’
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