Lovren poised for £11 million Zenit St Peter’s switch

Croatian defender, Dejan Lovren is on the brink of a Liverpool exit following an eventful period with the reigning Premier League champions. The centre half is closing in on a move to Russian giants, Zenit St Petersburg, according to the Liverpool ECHO.

Lovren, an integral member of Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League season a couple of years ago, has fallen to fourth choice in the pecking order under Jurgen Klopp and has made just 10 Premier League appearances this term. Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk are Liverpool’s current established first-choice pairing at centre back and Lovren has been limited to just 15 games all season with his most recent start coming in the 3-0 defeat at Watford at the end of February.

Zenit have expressed an interest in Lovren’s services and it is understood Liverpool are happy to do business with a fee of around £11 million agreed. The Liverpool ECHO reports that discussions have continued between Liverpool and Zenit for much of the month and the 31-year-old looks set to depart when the transfer window opens.

Lovren was the subject of interest from Italian clubs 12 months ago with AC Milan and Roma showing an interest in the former Southampton man. However, the Reds broke off talks with Roma after becoming frustrated with their negotiating tactics.

The Croatian defender joined the club from Southampton for around £20 m in the summer of 2014 and has gone on to make 185 appearances in total for the Reds, winning the Premier League, Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup with Liverpool.