Liverpool have reportedly placed a £25m price-tag on defender Dejan Lovren as AC Milan have been linked with a surprise swoop for the stalwart.
Lovren, 29, was limited to just 18 appearances last season, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip sitting above him in the pecking order at Anfield.
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In turn, while question marks can perhaps rightly be raised over his future with the Merseyside giants given his reduced role in recent times under Jurgen Klopp, Milan’s interest comes as a surprise for that same reason.
Nevertheless, with veterans Ignazio Abate and Cristian Zapata set to leave this summer with their contracts expiring, the next coach at the Italian giants will need to fill the void that they leave behind.
According to The Sun, that has led Milan to Lovren, although it’s noted that Liverpool have no interest in letting him leave for anything less than £25m.
Should they receive that figure, it would have to be said that the Reds have done impressive business for a bit-part player, but time will tell if that’s a price-tag that puts Milan off and forces them to look elsewhere.
Despite his limited playing time though, Lovren still has a key role to play for Liverpool moving forward as they continue to compete on multiple fronts, offering important depth for Klopp in case of injuries or poor form.
In turn, it’s debatable as to whether the German tactician would be open to allowing him to leave, as ultimately he would have to go out and sign a replacement when perhaps he would prefer to focus on other areas of his squad instead.
As for Milan, following the exit of Gennaro Gattuso at the end of last season, they have yet to appoint a successor, and so until that decision is made, new signings will surely be on the back-burner as any new arrivals must fit the ideas and plans of the new man in charge.
