A €5m Dejan Lovren can unlock Kalidou Koulibaly
Could Liverpool unlock the transfer of Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly by selling Dejan Lovren to AS Roma for next to nothing?
Reports have indicated that Jurgen Klopp is now ready to see a Liverpool future that doesn’t include Dejan Lovren, but might see Kalidou Koulibaly pulling on the Liver Bird.
In order to bring in the Senegal international, we would have to make some space in the squad and our man Degsy is the most likely candidate to go.
His contract only runs out in June 2021 so, in theory, the Croatian World Cup finalist could hang around for another season and try to pick up a handful of games when Joe Gomez or Joel Matip goes down injured.
But Michael Edwards wants to shift him off the books and Lovren will want to play games while he’s still in his prime.
There no way a move for Koulibaly would have been achieved while there were still four senior central defenders on the books. Someone had to go, and while the £5 million rumoured fee isn’t a great one – and it’s significantly less than Roma were prepared to pay at the start of this season, it serves as a means to an end.
Liverpool will now be able to move forward without Lovren’s wages on the books, they’ll be able to bank a little bit too and use that towards financing a move for one of the world’s best as Klopp looks to complete his defence.
Next. What happened when Liverpool signed Kalidou Koulibaly. dark
Could this be Lovren’s final gift to the club and the people of the city, who have fought for him and criticized him in equal measure. It’s been in odd time on Merseyside for the man who was signed from Southampton with a price tag around his neck and a reputation to fill.
From £20 million to £5 million and Koulibaly. I think we’d all take that.