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Jamie Carragher criticised “selfish” Mohamed Salah for the handling of his contract saga with Liverpool and said he was “disappointed” with the star forward after his explosive comments on Sunday.
Salah is one of three key Liverpool players, along with captain Virgil van Dijk and vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, to be out of contract next summer.
And the 32-year-old expressed his disappointment at not being offered a new deal after scoring two goals in the win over Southampton – a result that put Liverpool eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
“We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club,” Salah said, in a rare interview with club reporters after the 3-2 win at St Mary’s. “I’m probably more out than in.”
While praising Salah and admitting he is “desperate” for both sides to come to an agreement, Carragher criticised the timing of the Egyptian’s comments ahead of crucial fixtures against Real Madrid and Manchester City this week.
Carragher also disputed Salah’s claim that his representatives have yet to see an offer and said the club should not just “give him what he wants” despite insisting he was in the club’s top-five greatest ever players.
“Right now, there’s obviously a big difference in the valuation,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “In terms of what Salah and his agent value themselves out, whether that’s financially, or in terms of length of contract to what Liverpool do.
“So the reason Liverpool wouldn’t have offered a contract yet is because Mo Salah will turn it down. So they’re still in talks – I’m desperate for them to meet in the middle,
“But I must say I am very disappointed with Salah. That interview yesterday, Liverpool have got Real Madrid midweek and they’ve got Manchester City at the weekend. That’s the story for Liverpool right now.
“And Salah, we’re all quite aware, certainly the local reporters are in Liverpool, but in the seven years he’s been at the football club, he stopped in the mixed zone twice, which is his right and is absolutely fine.
“But he decided to stop for the third time away at Southampton on the back of winning Liverpool in the game and putting that out.
“Now, the most important thing for Liverpool this season is not the future of Salah. It’s not the future of Van Dijk and it’s not the future of Alexander Arnold.
“The most important thing is Liverpool winning the Premier League – that is more important than any of those players. And if he continues to put comments out or his agent keeps putting cryptic tweets out, that’s selfish. That’s thinking about themselves and not the football club.”
Carragher continued: “He’s getting the love from the supporters and he’s getting the love from me. They’re in talks – that is part of football. I would say Salah is in the top five players to ever play for Liverpool football club.
“I would go, Steven Gerrard, Kenny Dalglish, Graham Souness, Ian Rush and I’d put Salah in fifth position. That’s how highly I rate him. But it’s not about giving somebody what they want.
“What I would say is I hope Salah and the other two players who were involved in this, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander Arnol, don’t feel that this club will fall apart if they ever move on.
“Salah would be missed if he moved on. Of course, he would, but I can assure you Liverpool will move on.”
