Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has launched a brutal attack on Jamie Carragher and other television pundits, branding their recent criticism of Mohamed Salah as “disgusting.”

Salah has faced intense scrutiny over his performances and future, but Lovren has fiercely jumped to the defense of his former teammate, questioning the motives behind the media’s harsh treatment of the Egyptian forward.

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Dejan Lovren on Mohamed Salah treatment

Lovren did not hold back when addressing the wave of negativity surrounding Salah, suggesting that pundits target the forward simply to generate headlines and boost their own profiles.

“It’s not harsh. It’s disgusting,” Lovren stated in an interview with Egyptian outlet WinWin.

“Why didn’t they talk about him like this for the past eight or nine years? Okay, one season, and then he’s the target again… 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.”

The Croatian center-back singled out Sky Sports pundit and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, accusing him of lacking the bravery to deliver his critiques in person. Lovren revealed that he, too, had been on the receiving end of Carragher’s sharp tongue during his time in England.

“Especially Carragher, he says whatever he wants,” Lovren added. “I always said he should tell him this to his face, say all these things to Mo to his face. He’ll never say that, because I know he never will, because he never said it to me.

“He’s talked badly about me too, but he never said that to me anyway. You know, he’s just performing on TV and he gets paid for it, so he needs to perform this way.”

Strong friendship forged at Liverpool

Lovren’s passionate defence is perhaps unsurprising given the close friendship he developed with Salah during their time together at Liverpool.

The pair became well known for their friendship off the pitch and shared some of the club’s most successful years under former manager Jürgen Klopp.

Having witnessed Salah’s impact first-hand, Lovren clearly feels the forward’s achievements deserve greater recognition than some recent commentary has afforded him.

Salah’s Liverpool legacy remains secure

Regardless of recent criticism, Salah’s place among Liverpool’s greatest-ever players is already firmly established.

The Egyptian forward helped deliver multiple major honours to Anfield and consistently produced elite numbers throughout his time on Merseyside.

The fallout with Arne Slot resulted in Salah ultimately announcing his departure, with the Egyptian King bowing out from his incredible Anfield era at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Unfortunately for him, just weeks after Salah’s departure, the club decided to sack Slot, bringing in Andoni Iraola as his replacement.

Looking back at it, Liverpool fans will always wonder if Salah would have stayed had Liverpool sacked the manager earlier.