OPINION
As a general rule of thumb, you don’t want to be losing senior players after the season has started, especially if you have no means of replacing them.
The disparity between the closing dates of the English and continental transfer windows has made this a much more pertinent issue for clubs this season, and now it is very much a case of “lose a player and you’ll just have to find a way to cope”.
And so Liverpool fans must be apprehensive at the prospect of losing Dejan Lovren just before the European deadline.
According to Italian outlet Corrier dello Sport, Roma are preparing a fresh bid to take the 53 cap Croatian international on loan, after having missed out on Juventus defender Daniele Rugani.
Despite him falling down the pecking order at Anfield, a follow-up report from the Daily Mail claims that the Reds are keen to keep hold of Lovren, with a busy season ahead of them.
And to be fair, you can understand why.
The 30-year-old may not be anybody’s first choice to partner Virgil Van Dijk, but there is no questioning his experience or his talent.
This is a player who has featured in a World Cup final, and who has won a Champions League.
How many other covering defenders in the Premier League can boast that kind of record?
Add into the mix an average of 3.9 clearances and 1.2 tackles per game last season, as per Whoscored, and it’s clear that he could still do a job if needed.
Losing him now, at such a late stage, could spell trouble for the Reds.
