Rumour Mongering: Dejan Lovren Tracked by Serie A Giants

Between injuries and the emergence of Joe Gomez, it’s been a hard year for Dejan Lovren at Liverpool, with the Croatian international starting the season on the trainer’s table watching Gomez excel then suffering further injury when he finally got back into the starting eleven.

For Lovren, now 29 years of age, that means some long-term questions—about staying fit in the physically demanding Premier League and about where he fits in at Liverpool. At least that’s how the rumour mongers see it, and so they’re linking Lovren with a move to Serie A.

According to The Mirror, at least—hardly bastions of journalistic integrity— three clubs are tracking Lovren with an eye towards a summer move: Roma, Napoli, and AC Milan. That’s four of Italy’s current top five in the table, and all potentially very appealing destinations.

Adding fuel to this particular bit of rumour mongering is that Lovren’s current contract runs through the summer of 2021—if the club trigger an extension—meaning that to maximise value Lovren probably does either need to sign a new deal or be moved on this year.

Given his struggles with injury, Gomez’ emergence, and that his age and contract mean this summer might be the last Liverpool can sell for top dollar, there’s a plausibility to the links. Plausibility, though, doesn’t mean reality. Especially when it’s The Mirror spinning the story.

So while it wouldn’t be a shock to see Lovren move on this summer, and while Serie A could be appealing, it also wouldn’t be a shock to see the defender—long a favourite for manager Jürgen Klopp—signing a new Liverpool deal and sticking around.