“He’s done enough. Don’t let it turn ugly.” Jamie Carragher has officially called for the ‘End of an Era’ at Liverpool, urging Mohamed Salah to leave this summer before he becomes a ‘burden’ to Arne Slot’s new vision.

The farewell has been written. The script, long anticipated, has finally been delivered by the voice that carries more weight at Anfield than almost any other. Jamie Carragher has officially called for the end of an era—urging Mohamed Salah to depart Liverpool this summer before his legacy becomes complicated by decline.

**”He’s done enough. Don’t let it turn ugly.”**

Those words, delivered with the clarity of someone who loves the club deeply enough to speak uncomfortable truths, capture the essence of a dilemma that has been building for months. Salah, the greatest scorer of the Premier League era at Liverpool, the man whose 157 goals have defined a decade of success, is being told that the time has come to go .

## Carragher’s Case: The Numbers Don’t Lie

Carragher’s intervention is not based on sentiment or speculation—it’s rooted in the cold mathematics of Salah’s 2025-26 season. The Egyptian’s output has declined to levels that would have seemed unthinkable 18 months ago.

Salah’s performance against Nottingham Forest, described by the Liverpool Echo as a **4/10 display**, extended his goalless run to **nine games**—the longest drought of his Anfield career . He was “barely involved” in the first half, “too easily knocked off the ball,” and offered little threat throughout .

Goal’s assessment was equally damning: Salah’s drought now stands at nine games, and his influence on matches has diminished to the point where he is no longer the automatic match-winner he once was . The Athletic noted that his heat maps show a player increasingly peripheral to Liverpool’s attacking patterns .

For Carragher, these numbers tell an unavoidable story: Salah’s peak is behind him, and Liverpool’s evolution under Arne Slot requires moving beyond reliance on any single player.

## The “Long Goodbye” Finally Arrives

Carragher has been preparing Liverpool fans for this moment for months. In December, following Salah’s explosive post-match interview, Carragher branded the Egyptian’s behaviour a “disgrace” while simultaneously acknowledging his legendary status .

By January, Carragher was explicitly framing the remainder of the season as Salah’s **”long goodbye”** —a final lap of honour before a summer departure . The logic was always compelling:

– **Contract situation**: Salah’s deal expires in 2027, meaning this summer represents the final opportunity for a significant transfer fee
– **Saudi interest**: The Saudi Pro League’s pursuit has never truly cooled and would offer Salah a final lucrative contract
– **Tactical evolution**: Under Slot’s system, the “traditional right-wing dominance that Salah has held for years becomes less foundational”

Now, with the evidence of decline mounting and Liverpool’s evolution accelerating, Carragher has moved from prediction to advocacy.

## What “Don’t Let It Turn Ugly” Really Means

The phrase **”don’t let it turn ugly”** carries weight because Carragher has seen this movie before. He has watched legends outstay their welcome, watched farewells become awkward, watched gratitude curdle into frustration.

Steven Gerrard’s final seasons were complicated by the team’s decline around him. Jamie Carragher’s own departure was timed to avoid becoming a burden. Kenny Dalglish’s first spell ended in acrimony. The list of Anfield icons whose exits were less than perfect is longer than anyone would like.

Carragher is urging Salah to avoid joining that list. To leave while the memories are pure, while the gratitude is undiluted, while fans remember the Pharaoh at his peak rather than the diminished figure of 2026.

## The Slot Factor: A New System, A New Identity

Arne Slot’s evolution of Liverpool’s playing style has been deliberate and purposeful. The 4-2-3-1 formation, the emphasis on collective movement over individual brilliance, the development of multiple attacking threats—all of it points toward a future that does not depend on any single player .

Jamie Carragher recently declared that **”Liverpool is no longer the ‘Mohamed Salah team'”** —a statement that captured the essence of Slot’s project . The team has moved beyond reliance on one man, and in doing so, has become more resilient and more sustainable.

Slot’s system requires forwards who press aggressively, track back diligently, and contribute to collective defensive efforts. Salah, at 33, has never been defined by defensive work rate. The gap between what the system demands and what Salah naturally offers is growing.

## The Succession Plan: Diomonde Waiting in the Wings

The most compelling evidence that Liverpool are prepared for Salah’s departure lies in their planning for the future. Yan Diomonde, the 19-year-old Ivorian winger tearing up the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, has been identified as the long-term successor .

Yahoo Sports captured the philosophy perfectly: **”Replacing royalty requires courage. Yan Diomonde is not Mohamed Salah. He is not meant to be either. What he offers is something different — something electric and explosive. Where Salah devastates with precision and efficiency, Diomonde destabilises with chaos and acceleration”** .

The profile fits Slot’s vision. Diomonde brings pace, directness, and the ability to stretch games vertically—attributes that would thrive in a system increasingly focused on collective movement.

Financially, the equation balances itself. A significant fee for Salah—potentially exceeding £75m from Saudi suitors—could effectively underwrite Diomonde’s arrival . Succession funded internally, risk offset by logic.

## The Fan Reaction: Gratitude and Grief

The reaction to Carragher’s intervention has been predictably mixed. On social media and fan forums, Liverpool supporters are wrestling with the emotional reality of saying goodbye to a legend:

*”He’s right and it hurts. Salah gave us everything. Let him go with love.”*
*”One more season. He deserves one more season.”*
*”The numbers don’t lie. He’s not the same player. Better to leave now than be pushed later.”*

The split reflects the fundamental tension at the heart of this debate: gratitude versus pragmatism, sentiment versus strategy. Carragher has come down firmly on the side of the latter, believing that the club’s long-term interests must override emotional attachment.

## What Salah Has Given: A Legacy Beyond Measure

Before assessing whether Salah should leave, it’s worth cataloguing what he has given. Since arriving from Roma in 2017 for an initial £36.9m, Salah has:

– **Scored 157 goals in 258 Premier League appearances**
– **Won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and two League Cups**
– **Claimed three Premier League Golden Boots**
– **Scored 44 goals in a single Premier League season—a record for a 38-game campaign**
– **Been named PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice**
– **Finished third in Ballon d’Or voting**

He is, by any measure, one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s history and one of the finest the Premier League has ever seen . The statue outside Anfield will be erected regardless of how this ends.

## The Burden Question: Is Salah Already a Liability?

Carragher’s framing of Salah potentially becoming a “burden” is harsh but not without foundation. The statistics from the 2025-26 season reveal a player in decline:

– **Nine games without a goal**—the longest drought of his Liverpool career
– **Goal contributions per 90 minutes down 30% from his peak**
– **Chances created per game at a five-year low**
– **Defensive actions per game at a career low**

These numbers matter because Liverpool are in a tight top-four race with Chelsea and Manchester United . Every point counts, every attacking threat must be maximised. If Salah is no longer providing that threat, the question of whether he should start becomes legitimate.

The Athletic’s analysis of Liverpool’s struggles against low blocks noted that the team has scored 17 fewer league goals than at the same stage last season, and no team in the top six has scored fewer . If Salah’s decline is a contributing factor, the team’s evolution cannot wait.

## The Saudi Option: A Final Payday

The Saudi Pro League has never hidden its desire to sign Salah. Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Hilal have all been linked with massive offers, with figures exceeding £75m regularly mentioned .

For Salah, a move to Saudi would offer:

– A final lucrative contract worth potentially £150m over three years
– The opportunity to be the face of a developing league
– Less pressure, more adulation
– A comfortable path to retirement

For Liverpool, the sale would provide funds to accelerate the rebuild, remove a significant wage from the payroll, and allow the Diomonde succession to proceed.

The alignment of interests is unusually clear.

## Carragher’s Authority: Why His Voice Matters

When Jamie Carragher speaks about Liverpool, the football world listens. A one-club man with 737 appearances, a Champions League winner, a man who bled for the shirt across two decades—his perspective carries weight that no pundit without that history can match .

His Telegraph column in December, while critical of Salah’s behaviour, was also deeply respectful of his achievements: **”The current Liverpool era will be forever synonymous with Salah. He is one of the all-time greats of Liverpool and the Premier League”** .

This balance—criticism rooted in love, honesty delivered with respect—is what makes Carragher’s intervention so powerful. He is not attacking Salah; he is trying to protect his legacy.

## The Verdict: A Beautiful Ending Before an Ugly One

**”He’s done enough. Don’t let it turn ugly.”**

Those words will echo through Anfield for the remainder of the season. Every Salah appearance will be scrutinised through this lens. Every goal will be cherished as potentially his last. Every missed chance will be weighed against Carragher’s warning.

The ideal ending is clear: Salah lifts the Premier League trophy in May, scores a decisive goal in the Champions League knockout stages, and departs for Saudi with the gratitude of an entire fanbase ringing in his ears. The “long goodbye” becomes a glorious farewell.

But football rarely delivers ideal endings. More often, it offers complicated ones—decisions delayed until they become unavoidable, departures that arrive a year too late, legacies complicated by the refusal to recognise decline.

Carragher is urging Salah to avoid that fate. To leave while the memories are pure, while the love is undiluted, while he remains the Pharaoh rather than becoming a burden.

**”Don’t let it turn ugly.”**

The warning has been issued. The choice now belongs to Salah. And at Anfield, a fanbase waits, hoping that one of their greatest ever players will have the wisdom to write his own perfect ending. 🔴😢👑