Carragher's Disbelief Over Salah's Move to Trabzonspor

Jamie Carragher did not hide his disbelief.

The former Liverpool defender, speaking on the Football Ramble, admitted he never thought Mohamed Salah would turn his back on Europe’s traditional power leagues for a move to Trabzonspor.

“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 A. Turkey for me feels a level too low,” he said, cutting straight to the point.

“Too good for that” – Carragher’s verdict

Carragher’s frustration is not aimed at Trabzonspor as a club, but at what he sees as a missed final act at the very top of the European game. In his mind, a player of Salah’s stature should have followed a path closer to Cristiano Ronaldo’s – staying at what he called a “prestigious” institution, with the spotlight and scrutiny that come with it.

He admitted he expected the 34‑year‑old to land at one of Italy’s giants rather than a side that finished third in the Super Lig last season.

“I was convinced he'd end up at an AC Milan or Juventus or somewhere like that, maybe his wages were a problem,” Carragher said. “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.”

That line reveals the core of his criticism. For Carragher, this is not about whether Salah can still score goals in Turkey. It’s about the stage he has chosen to perform on.

Prestige vs payday

Underpinning his argument is the belief that Salah has traded visibility and the grind of elite competition for a lucrative package in a league that does not test players week in, week out in the same way. Reports in Turkey suggest Trabzonspor have assembled an offer worth around €17 million per year to lure him to the Black Sea coast.

Trabzonspor will be in the Europa League next season, which at least keeps Salah in continental competition. Carragher, though, sees the domestic calendar as a step down for a forward who only recently walked away from a £400,000‑a‑week contract at Liverpool.

“Obviously his wage demands have put a few people off but I thought he might almost curb those demands a little bit to almost get a better club,” he continued. “To go to an AC Milan or Juventus or whoever it may be, play at the San Siro, still playing in big games, still playing in Europe. Turkey just feels like... I just think he's better than that.”

That pause – “Turkey just feels like...” – says as much as the words that follow. In Carragher’s eyes, this is a player still good enough to shape title races in Serie A, not merely headline a chasing pack in the Super Lig.

A new kingdom on the Black Sea

Salah, though, seems unmoved by that criticism. He has committed to a new life in the north of Turkey, where he will link up with familiar Premier League faces such as Manchester United loanee Andre Onana and former Manchester City defender Stefan Savic.

The “Egyptian King” departs Merseyside with a legacy that needs no embellishment: every major club trophy secured, including both the Premier League and Champions League, and an era-defining role in Liverpool’s modern history. He leaves as a legend; he arrives in Turkey as something closer to a saviour.

The scenes at Istanbul Atatürk Airport underlined that. The reception bordered on religious fervour. Flares, flags, crowds pressed against barriers – a reminder that prestige is not measured only by TV deals and UEFA coefficients. In Trabzon, they are ready to treat him as a deity.

Trabzonspor last lifted the league title in 2022. Since then, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have stretched away, building heavyweight squads and hoarding domestic honours. The club’s hierarchy clearly believe Salah can close that gap almost by force of will and reputation.

Carragher may look at the choice and see a stage too small for a player of Salah’s calibre. Trabzonspor see something else entirely: a global superstar walking into their dressing room with enough medals, goals and ambition to tilt the balance of power in Turkish football.