Dejan Lovren Close to Liverpool Exit With Premier League Duo 'Challenging' Italian Side
By Tom Gott
Liverpool have been tipped to offload centre-back Dejan Lovren this summer, with a move to north London on the cards. Which part of north London? Well, either.
Lovren was heavily linked with an exit last year, with Roma believed to be closest to getting a deal over the line. He ultimately remained at Anfield, but he has managed just 14 appearances in all competitions this year.
With his contract set to expire in 2021, Liverpool will have a decision to make about Lovren's future this summer. According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, the Reds are likely to let him leave in a €20m deal.
Lazio are one of the interested sides (hence the origin of the report), but it also mentions that both Arsenal and Spurs would be interested in striking a deal for Lovren this summer.
Lovren is one of those players who has constantly divided opinion. He did have a reputation as a reliable centre-back, but then he went and claimed to be one of the best defenders in the world in 2018. Since then, it's pretty much been all downhill.
Dejan Lovren: "If he wins this #WorldCup, he deserves the Ballon d'Or." The #LFC defender makes a big statement about one of his #CRO teammates.#beINClub #beINRussia #beINFWC pic.twitter.com/2bUezOObS7
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) July 11, 2018
He has been guilty of a few shocking performances this season, with the recent 3-0 loss to Watford one of the poorest showings all year, so to see both Arsenal and Spurs linked with him comes as quite a surprise.
Beginning with Arsenal, it's no secret that they want a new defender. They brought in David Luiz last summer and then acted all surprised when the Brazilian started making the kind of mistakes which have plagued his career.
So, why would they want Lovren, who also comes with a reputation for having more than a few errors in him?
The club have also been linked West Ham's Issa Diop, which sounds much more sensible. He's young and comes with a lot of potential, whereas Lovren's time at the top is already likely over.
It's a similar story for Spurs. With Jan Vertonghen set to walk away this summer, José Mourinho will need a new centre-back, but to see him put his faith in an ageing Lovren would be a real shock to the system.
Real Madrid's Éder Militão has recently emerged as a potential target, and much like Arsenal with Diop, that makes infinitely more sense than a move for Lovren.
Lazio may want Lovren, and they should be confident of not facing any competition from any of England's elite.