Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, according to Axel Hesse of Sport Bild. The Croatian centre-back has been the subject of much transfer speculation this summer, particularly interest from Serie A side Roma. He is yet to feature for Liverpool this season and seems to have lost his place in the side behind counterparts Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
Bayer Leverkusen Interested in Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren
Bench to Bench?
Lovren is yet to appear for the Reds in their three competitive matches this season – the Premier League wins against Norwich City and Southampton as well as the Super Cup success against Chelsea. After joining in 2014 from the Saints and gradually gaining the respect of the Kop after some less-than-impressive early performances, Lovren appears now to be no more than a back-up.
However, according to Bild’s report, that’s the same position he can be expected to hold if a move to Leverkusen goes through. They say that he will be used in rotation with regulars Jonathan Tah and Sven Bender. Alongside him in a similar role would be Aleksandar Dragovic after Tin Jedvaj moved to Augsburg on loan.
An alternative centre-back would certainly be a welcome addition for Leverkusen, but would Lovren want to essentially swap one substitute’s bench for another?
The Deal
Bild say that Leverkusen would look to initially take Lovren on loan, with a loan fee of around €3 million. Whether they look to make that deal permanent would likely depend on Lovren’s performances for the side.
Whatever they do, Leverkusen will have to ensure a deal is done with haste if they want to get their man. While the Premier League transfer window is already shut and has been for some time, clubs across Europe still have until September 2 to bring in players, including those from the Premier League.
That may seem like long enough, but if no contact has been made at all between the clubs and the deal is still in its infancy, the pair are going to have to move quickly to come to an agreement.
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