Liverpool have reignited contract talks with defender Dejan Lovren, who appeared to have his mind elsewhere only a few months ago. Negotiations with the 27-year-old appeared to break down earlier in the campaign. Lovren has a contract with the club until the summer of 2019.
The Croatian was signed by former boss Brendan Rodgers from Southampton back in 2014. After initially struggling to settle at Anfield, Lovren has been able to force out players like Martin Skrtel from Liverpool. He has been a regular first-team player under the regime of Jurgen Klopp, who is reportedly keen on keeping the player beyond his current contract.
The Croatian international cost the club around £20 million when he made the switch from Southampton. However, he had made some high profile mistakes during his first years at the club. Now, Klopp has been able to get the best out of Lovren. He has featured in 20 league matches this season and scored two goals.
The lack of central defenders at Liverpool is also thought to be one of the reasons behind the club being keen on extending the contract of Lovren. While the 27-year old has been a stable presence in the back four, Klopp has not been so lucky with regard to his other options.
The lack of a proper combination has resulted in the manager utilising central midfielders like Lucas Leiva as a central defender. However, this experiment has backfired quite badly and the club are expected to make defensive signings a priority in the summer.
Apart from the centre back, the club are also in the market for two left backs. Fulham defender Ryan Sessegnon is reportedly on his way to Anfield, but the 16-year-old needs couple of years before he can handle the pressure of playing for Liverpool. As a result, the club are reportedly looking at other options. Right back is also a spot which needs strengthening even though Nathaniel Clyne has done an excellent job this campaign.
If Lovren manages to agree a deal with Liverpool, it would be his first contract extension since coming from Southampton. At 27 years of age, he is at the peak of his career and will be able to offer several years of top-level football. Liverpool’s strict wage structure means that the club will look to complete negotiations as soon as possible in order to avoid attention from other clubs capable of offering far bigger wages.
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