Liverpool have made their first defensive signing of their already busy summer transfer window, with the purchase of Dejan Lovren from Southampton. The Croatian will become Liverpool’s third signing from Southampton this window. Lovren will join former teammates, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert on Merseyside.
The fee from reliable journalists and newspapers is reported to be £16m + £4m add-ons/instalments. Because we love a good add-on. This fee means that the 25 year-old Croatian defender is likely to become Liverpool’s most expensive defender in the history of the club. Beating previous record-holder, Glen Johnson, whose services were bought for £16m from Portsmouth, back in 2009.
What does Lovren bring to Liverpool?
Well, it’s been no secret to us fans that Rodgers has been chasing a loud, demanding centre-back with good leadership qualities this Summer. Pretty much filling the huge void that Jamie Carragher left on the side after retiring. Liverpool were affected hugely by Carragher’s retirement. Statistics would suggest that, anyway.
Liverpool conceded 50 goals last season in the league. Far, far, far too many of them were sloppy individual errors. So Rodgers obviously believes that Lovren is the man to come into his defence and in a way sort everything out. Obviously not everything, but organize the defence. Be that commanding and demanding voice. Tell the players what they need to do. It might just be me, but I have this feeling that it’s pretty silent in that Liverpool defence at the moment. I think, in a couple of years time, Sakho will be a lot louder. He barely speaks a word of English at the moment, as he’s still settling into his new life in England. People seem to forget stuff like that with new foreign players coming into a brand new league, with a brand new lifestyle.
Lovren, although being predominantly right-footed, has played the majority of his career at left centre-back, with a few games at right centre-back here and there. At the moment, I see our best defender being Mamadou Sakho, who also plays left centre-back. I’m not too sure what is going to happen to our side regarding Lovren. However, I have typed up a scenario that I believe is logical and one I hope is true…
Liverpool bought Sakho from PSG last Summer for around £15m. A price-tag that’s pretty hefty for a defender. Now Rodgers has snapped up the services of Lovren for an even bigger fee, you can’t help but think this was pretty much the plan. Maybe not with as specific detail as this (player-wise), but Liverpool spending big on a centre-back last Summer and completing the second and final part of the jigsaw when Liverpool had Champions League football again. I can’t see Rodgers spending so big on Sakho, and then the next season starting the Frenchman on the bench. Also, with Lovren 25 and Sakho only 24, the partnership, if it works, can go on for many years in the future. I think it has some serious potential, and I hope Rodgers thinks the same.
Lovren, as a player, shouldn’t have too many problems fitting into Liverpool’s style of play. Despite not playing exactly the same way to Southampton, they pretty much do with their defenders. Rodgers’ sides start from the back with the ball and build-up. Lovren has already done that throughout last season at the Saints. Lovren is also noticeably comfortable on both feet, which I suppose he has to be, playing left centre-back most of the time.
There’s a side to his game which is similar to Daniel Agger’s, you could say. Lovren showed at Southampton last season and Lyon, the season before, that he liked to bomb forward on some powerful and surging runs.
I think Lovren will become a real hit at Liverpool over time. I do not think he will need too much time settling in, and I have a feeling that he will have a fantastic first season in Brendan Rodgers’ side, and you will see the results (less goals conceded). People will always question the fee, but in time, I have a feeling we will all but forget about it.
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