Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren is on a three-man shortlist of centre backs for Italian champions Juventus, according to Sky Sports.
The broadcaster claims that the European giants have identified the Croatian international, on a reported £100,000-per-week at Anfield [Source: Spotrac], as a candidate to replace the injured Giorgio Chiellini.
The veteran centre half faces months on the sidelines after suffering ACL damage this week, and Juve have moved quickly to attempt to replace him.
Bayern Munich star Jerome Boateng and former Juve defender Mehdi Benatia, now at Qatari side Al-Duhail, are the other two names on the Old Lady’s shortlist.
OPINION
Those exit rumours that have been circulating around Lovren all summer seemingly aren’t going away, are they? The most interest, it would seem, is coming from Italy. First there was AC Milan, then Roma – although that has been quashed by their loan signing of Manchester United centre back Chris Smalling – now Juventus. Clearly the big Serie A teams like something in Lovren’s game. The story remains the same from a Liverpool perspective, though. It’s unlikely that they would part with the Croatian now unless they receive a really monumental offer for him. The fact that they couldn’t replace him until January likely rules this potential move out. Out of the three names on Juve’s list of Chiellini replacements, you’d have to say that Benatia seems like the most realistic possibility. However, do they even need to buy a replacement? They still have Leonardo Bonucci, Matthijs de Ligt and Daniele Rugani – none of them exactly slouches. It’s an embarrassment of riches, but some teams just want it all, eh?
