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Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has come out in support of Mohamed Salah with his Anfield career on the line after a dramatic few days.
Salah launched an astonishing tirade following Saturday's draw with Leeds, having been an unused substitute at Elland Road. In the interview, the Egyptian accused the club of throwing him under the bus before suggesting his relationship with Arne Slot had broken down.
Liverpool confirmed on Monday that Salah would not be part of the travelling party for the Champions League game with Inter Milan, with Slot addressing the situation in his pre-match press conference in Italy.
The Reds boss offered no assurances that Salah would play for the club again, with Saudi Pro League sides monitoring the situation ahead of the January transfer window.
Salah has been widely criticized for his interview, with Anfield legend Jamie Carragher finally breaking his silence in an angry rant after being among those targeted by the Liverpool star.
But Lovren, who played alongside Salah under Jurgen Klopp, has shown where his loyalties lie. He posted a simple message on social media on Monday night with a love heart alongside the Egyptian's name.
The pair struck up a close bond during their time on Merseyside with Salah later joking that they 'became friends by mistake' as the club endured great success under Klopp.
Lovren, who is still playing his trade in Greece with PAOK, left Liverpool in 2020 for Zenit Saint Petersburg but has remained friends with Salah.
The Croatia international dropped a transfer bombshell about his ex-teammate earlier this year, when Salah was weighing up his future before signing a new Liverpool contract.
"I think he's closer to leaving, he's closer to leaving than to staying at the moment," Lovren told winwin. "I know what I feel, I hope everything will turn, I honestly hope for the best. In the end, it's for the money, but he's worth it, much more than the money.
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"Who will you replace him with? That would be the first question if I was in the club. I think you would have to pay 200 million to replace him.
"Everyone wants him to stay, and I personally want him to stay. I called him one day and said: ‘Mo, you have to think about yourself. Look at everything you’ve given this club and what you can still give.’
"In the end, I came to the conclusion that the club doesn’t respect him enough, or at least not as much as they think they deserve, but that’s another side of the story, it’s all about what goes on behind the scenes. He didn’t start thinking about a specific club, but he started thinking about a new step, everyone is shocked, but it’s the truth."
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