Salah Would Have Definitely Stayed at Liverpool if Slot's Exit Had Come First, Claims Lovren

Mohamed Salah's exit from Liverpool might never have materialised had Arne Slot departed the Anfield hotseat sooner, according to former Red Dejan Lovren, who has also launched a spirited defence of the Egyptian forward against what he deems unfair punditry.

The 33-year-old forward penned fresh terms at the end of last season following a stellar campaign in which his 29 goals and 18 assists proved instrumental in Liverpool's second Premier League crown under Slot's stewardship. Yet this term saw both player and club struggle, with Salah growing increasingly vocal about his frustrations—first suggesting he'd been "thrown under the bus" ahead of his AFCON departure before Christmas, then later demanding a return to the "heavy-metal football" that characterised Klopp's reign.

Those public grumbles ultimately preceded his announcement to leave. Liverpool subsequently tore up his remaining contract, facilitating a free transfer exit that few had anticipated given his standing at the club.

Lovren, now plying his trade with Greek outfit PAOK, reckons the outcome hinged entirely on managerial continuity. Speaking to Middle Eastern publication WinWin, the Croatian insisted the crux of the problem stemmed from a fundamental breakdown between player and manager rather than any systemic issue at the club.

"I think it's just one person, and I think it's just the manager," Lovren explained. "They didn't have a good relationship. Let's put it simply. With Klopp, he had a really good relationship. It wasn't always perfect, but they knew each other very well, let's say that too, and they trusted each other, they liked each other, and Mo gave everything on the pitch for Klopp, and Klopp gave him that trust."

The dynamic with Slot proved markedly different. Lovren pointed to Salah's consistent excellence across his eight-year Liverpool tenure as evidence that the problem lay specifically with the current manager rather than any broader decline in the player's abilities or commitment.

"But with Slot it was the opposite. It's that simple, and everyone knows it because when you look at the previous eight or nine seasons, he did really well. Then in the last season… Now people will say, 'Oh yes, but he also did well in the first year Slot came in,' but I don't think that was because I think he just took over the team as it was, as the team was already."

On whether a fractured relationship existed between Salah and Slot, Lovren was unambiguous: "There was no relationship. Yes, to put it simply, there was no relationship."

Pressed on whether Salah might have remained had Slot's dismissal preceded his own departure, Lovren was emphatic. "Yes, he would have stayed 100%. Believe me, he would have stayed 100%, I know that. But the timing was bad."

Slot has since been relieved of his duties and replaced by Andoni Iraola.

Lovren also took aim at Jamie Carragher's recent criticism of Salah, describing the pundit's commentary as "disgusting" given the forward's track record at the club. He questioned why Carragher had refrained from such harsh assessments during Salah's eight or nine seasons of excellence before turning on him following one difficult campaign.

"Why didn't they talk about him like this for the past eight or nine years? Tell me," Lovren said. "Okay, one season, and then he's the target again. There are so many other issues."

The former defender suggested some pundits resort to provocative takes for attention, implying Carragher's willingness to criticise Salah publicly stems from a desire to generate headlines rather than genuine analysis.

"Some pundits do it just to attract attention, maybe because they haven't succeeded in other areas of their lives, so now they need to perform well," Lovren continued. "Sometimes people put Mo in the spotlight, and then the easy part is, like I said… especially Carragher, he says whatever he wants."

Lovren expressed frustration that Carragher wouldn't voice such criticisms directly to Salah's face, characterising the pundit's approach as performative rather than principled. He concluded with a personal endorsement of Salah's character, suggesting the forward deserves considerably better treatment than recent commentary has afforded him.

"I honestly don't understand. He deserves so much better."