Jamie Carragher has urged Mohamed Salah to remain at Liverpool for the remainder of the season, while accepting that the forward’s long-term future may already be decided beyond 2025–26. The former defender, who spent part of last week heavily critical of Salah, adopted a more conciliatory public tone on Monday Night Football.

Carragher acknowledged his earlier criticism of the player’s conduct during a poor run of form, describing that assessment as a “vicious dismantling” of what he called the player’s “disgraceful” behaviour. One week later, he advised patience and participation for the months still to come.

“Last week, I was giving advice to Mo Salah and his agent, and I’m going to do it again,” the former England international smiled on this week’s MNF. “Because what we saw at the end of the game against Brighton was Mo Salah, a lack of appreciation, if you like. A little bit emotional, you know, with the Kop. He’s probably not sure himself whether that’s his last time at Anfield.

“But, if he’s thinking about moving on, I would urge him to think again.

“And the reason I would say that is, if Mo Salah is to move on from Liverpool now, the talk is he would go to the Saudi league , which is talked about over there, but probably nowhere else—except when the transfer window’s open. Mo Salah’s not going to move and leave Liverpool to go to Barcelona or Real Madrid.

“Now, Liverpool, in the second half of the season, they could get to an FA Cup final. They could get to a Champions League final. Can you imagine Mo Salah, in Saudi playing for whatever team he’s playing for, watching Liverpool come out in Budapest in their Champions League final?

“You come back at the end of January, you’ve got three months. O.K., you might not get on with the manager. You’ll start some games. You’ll be subbed some games.”

Carragher was blunt about what he expects after those months. “I don’t see Mo Salah playing for Liverpool next season,” he declared.

Reflecting on Salah’s emotional celebration with the Kop after the Brighton win, Carragher said: “Does Mo Salah deserve more than that, as a Liverpool player?” Yes was his conclusion. “He deserves a guard of honour,” the former defender proclaimed. “He deserves a mosaic in the Kop. He deserves to be able to bring his family, his wife and his kids on the pitch in his last game and actually be celebrated for what he’s done as a Liverpool player.

Mohamed Salah’s recent public complaint about his situation at Anfield prompted concern inside Liverpool’s dressing room, but team staff and players say the matter has been managed and negotiations will continue. Opinion was divided when Salah spoke out while the team were struggling, and some feared a split would develop between supporters of the forward and those unhappy with the timing of his remarks.

After being dropped for one further game, Salah was reinstated to the matchday squad for the win over Brighton & Hove Albion, and he broke the Premier League’s single-club goal contribution record in an all-smiles performance that appeared to ease tensions.

Curtis Jones, speaking to Viaplay after the game, said:

“We all love Mo. I love Mo,” Jones told Viaplay after the game. “At my hardest times at the club, you know, he was always one of the ones who was there, I could always speak to. And it’s exactly the same now.

“Mo’s his own man, he’s got his own opinions. And, you know, I don’t think his intentions were to affect the team or anything like that. It was just a personal thing. And as everybody knows, the team, the fans, the staff, we all love Mo. He’s a great guy.

“I don’t really like to speak on another man’s issues or his business and stuff. That has to do with Mo. But at the end of the day, I think the important thing that Mo made clear was that it’s not against the team or anything like that, just a personal issue, and that’s it.”

Club and player held private talks and the immediate tension has subsided, but further negotiations between Liverpool and Salah’s entourage are expected during the winger’s time away at the Africa Cup of Nations as both sides seek a long-term resolution that works for everybody, including manager Slot. Slot has said he has “no reason” to want Salah to leave in January, while Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté backed the forward to play for Liverpool again upon his return.

Interest from the Saudi Pro League and several Middle Eastern clubs remains, and reports suggest a summer move is more feasible than a mid-season exit. Salah is under contract until 2027 after signing an extension in April, meaning any interested club will still need to negotiate with Liverpool to reach a deal in the next 18 months.

Arne Slot offered a worrying assessment after Dominik Szoboszlai left Liverpool’s win against Brighton with an ankle problem.

The Hungary international, who has spent much of his time at right back this season, also started against Brighton on the right wing in place of Mohamed Salah. Despite that defensive usage, Szoboszlai leads the Liverpool squad for shots on target in the Premier League and tops the team in progressive passes, crosses and tackles.

Szoboszlai moved back into defence when Joe Gomez could not continue, then went down in the 70th minute following a collision. Medical treatment allowed him to continue for about 10 more minutes, but he limped off before the final whistle.

“Dom, it was his ankle,” Slot confirmed immediately after the 2–0 win. “It didn’t look great when I just saw him.” Slot added: “He has unbelievable mentality so let’s hope for the best,” acknowledging the player’s resilience and the need for further testing.

Slot has started Szoboszlai in all 22 of Liverpool’s Premier League and Champions League fixtures this season, deploying him in six different positions. Last season the player was only sidelined by a bout of illness, and it has been almost two years since his most recent muscle injury.

There is a realistic chance Szoboszlai could return for Liverpool’s next match, a trip to Tottenham Hotspur next Saturday, but the appearance of another injury in training or during the game has increased uncertainty.

That uncertainty extended to Joe Gomez, whose fitness remains a concern. Gomez missed 28 games last season with two serious hamstring issues and had been reintegrated cautiously. He had made four starts in two weeks before the Brighton game, but did not last 25 minutes on Saturday.

“If I have a player who goes off with a muscle injury like Joe, that’s normally not a positive thing,” Slot mused postgame. “I would not expect him to be in the squad next week.”