Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has spoken out against retired Nigerian forward Yakubu Aiyegbeni for his recent comments regarding Mohamed Salah’s goal-scoring abilities.
Yakubu, known for his time in the Premier League with clubs like Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Portsmouth, and Middlesbrough, shared his views on Salah, who is widely regarded as one of the top goal-scorers in Europe.
During an interview on Instagram with FootyEmporium, Yakubu suggested that Salah is not a world-class player and that many African players who have played in the Premier League had better careers than the Egyptian, attributing Salah’s success to luck rather than skill.
Yakubu said: “Salah is not world-class in my opinion. He is not good with the ball and the majority of his goals are lucky goals.”
“You cannot say Mohamed Salah is the greatest African to play in the Premier League. The greatest African players in the Premier League are Okocha, Drogba, Kanu, Yaya Toure, Adebayor, and Sadio Mane.”
However, Lovren commented on the Instagram post to express his disagreement with Yakubu’s comments, stating that Salah’s goals are not down to luck but rather his skill and hard work on the pitch.
The Croatian defender emphasized that Salah’s consistency and ability to score in crucial moments prove his world-class status.
Dejan Lovren jumped to the defense of his former teammate by implying that Yakubu was drunk when he made the comments.
He said: “Clearly he tried some new drinks.”
Yakubu was once one of the leading African scorers in Premier League history with 95 goals in 252 appearances. However, Salah surpassed his tally a few years ago, now boasting 154 goals in 253 appearances.
Meanwhile, despite interest from Saudi Arabia last summer, the Egyptian forward chose to stay at Liverpool.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Salah is content at the club and will not push for a transfer, even if an offer comes in from Saudi Arabia after Jürgen Klopp’s departure.
Romano said: “Last summer was more than serious. In the last week of August Saudi put together a £150m package for Mo Salah. Massive respect for Mo Salah because many players in that position say let me go, but he was super professional and super respectful.”
Mohamed Salah achieved a significant milestone this season in Liverpool’s history by scoring his 20th goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup. He is now the first player in Liverpool’s history to score 20 or more goals in seven consecutive seasons.
What’s next for Salah and Liverpool?
The Egyptian will next be seen in Premier League action for the Reds when they lock horns with Brighton on Easter Sunday, March 31st. The match will take place at Anfield with kickoff scheduled for 2 pm.
What’s your take on Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s comments on Salah? Please, air your view with us in the comments box below:
