According to a recent report by the Daily Mail, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are said to be lining up a potential summer move for the services of Croatian international centre-half Dejan Lovren. The report suggests that London clubs Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are all keen on the veteran defender’s signature.
It has been suggested that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is ready to allow the Croatian to leave in the summer, as he wouldn’t want to stand in the way of the player’s desire. Having spent six years at Anfield, it’s safe to say that Lovren’s experience as a Liverpool player has had its fair share of peaks and troughs. It is also claimed that the four London clubs will face competition from sides across the continent and that the Reds will look to recover a transfer fee as he still has a year left on his contract.
What Is Tottenham Hotspur’s Current Defensive Situation?
Despite finishing last campaign as runners-up to Liverpool in the Champions League, Spurs started the season looking like a promoted club that were still getting used to the tempo of Premier League football. Mauricio Pochettino’s side seemed incapable of maintaining a lead, and then looked much worse when they tried to come back from a goal down. There was a distinct lack of desire running through the whole team, and a lot of that was down to the defensive aspects.
The transfer saga that was faced by Toby Alderweireld last season involving Manchester United didn’t help their cause. At the same time, the consistency at which the Spurs players were picking up injuries was an obvious concern too. Although Jose Mourinho’s takeover at the helm did have a temporary positive impact, things took a turn for the worse in the coming weeks.
Their final three weeks of Premier League football yielded in two defeats and a draw, where they conceded six times over the three fixtures. More worryingly, Spurs have conceded 40 goals in the league this season, in a situation where Burnley are the only other top-half team to have hit that number. Looking ahead too, with Jan Vertonghen’s contract set to expire in a few months’ time, the need for a new defender has never been this high at Tottenham.
Would Dejan Lovren Be A Good Addition?
To begin with, that could be down to what kind of a defender Jose Mourinho is hoping to acquire. Although the likes of Japhet Tanganga and Juan Foyth are available to provide cover, the fact they’re still very young could be what is putting the manager off. Also, the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez have been far from their usual composed selves this season as well. Their 3-0 away defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig must be considered as the perfect example of their defensive frailty.
With that said, Dejan Lovren doesn’t have the greatest reputation for being a dependable defender either. Although his showing at the World Cup for Croatia is now the stuff of footballing legend, the inconsistencies that he’s displayed at Liverpool simply cannot be underplayed. Moreover, the former Southampton man has just featured in nine league fixtures all campaign, with Klopp preferring to utilise either Joe Gomez or Joel Matip alongside skipper Virgil Van Dijk.
The 30-year-old, like various Liverpool players in the past, has singlehandedly lost the Reds multiple football matches with his actions. Jose Mourinho is a manager who aspires for perfection, and that’s definitely not a word that can be used to describe Lovren. Even with all the defensive issues that Spurs have been going through, they’re probably best off avoiding Lovren and looking elsewhere for assured back-line options.
