Salah will not return to Liverpool even after Slot's exit, says Lovren

Mohamed Salah will not reverse his decision to leave Liverpool despite the departure of Arne Slot, according to former Reds defender Dejan Lovren, who believes the timing of events made a comeback all but impossible.

Salah announced at the end of last season that he would be leaving Anfield after nine years, a decision widely linked to a difficult relationship with then-head coach Slot. With Slot now gone and Andoni Iraola installed as his replacement, some supporters had held out hope that the Egyptian might reconsider. Lovren, speaking to WinWin, swiftly extinguished those hopes.

“No, it’s over,” Lovren said. “Mo has a big personality too. I don’t know, if they hadn’t announced all of that, all the details of leaving, saying thank you and goodbye, maybe yes, but now it’s difficult.”

The Croatian went further, suggesting the outcome could easily have been different had the timing aligned. “Yes, he would have stayed 100 per cent. Believe me, he would have stayed 100 per cent, I know that. But the timing was bad,” he said. “Only a fool would say we no longer need him. To say you don’t need Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, when he can still perform at the highest level for another two or three years, then we have a problem understanding football.”

Salah’s relationship with Slot had been visibly strained during the second half of last season, with the forward involved in two public confrontations. He has yet to confirm his next destination following his exit from the club.

Meanwhile, Liverpool face a separate subplot involving another former striker. Darwin Nunez, who left for Al-Hilal in a £46.3 million deal in the summer of 2025, is reportedly keen on a return to Merseyside after a difficult spell in Saudi Arabia. The Uruguayan was dropped from Al-Hilal’s squad in February following the arrival of Karim Benzema.

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Nunez is open to rejoining Liverpool, though Chelsea have also registered interest — a development reportedly linked to Xabi Alonso’s arrival at Stamford Bridge.