In a recent interview with Football Insider, Kevin Phillips has backed West Ham United to recruit Dejan Lovren from Zenit St. Petersburg. Phillips said,
“He’d (Lovren) be a massive signing.
“The experience that he’s got would be invaluable at this stage of the season. To try and help the team whether you’re fighting in the Premier League or challenging in Europe.
“To have someone like that at the heart of your defence with his experience, he’s an organiser and a leader. It would be a massive, massive bonus for them.”
Lovren’s Impressive Spell At St. Petersburg
Lovren was enjoying a solid season in Russian football as he managed to establish himself as a rock at the back for Zenit. The 32-year-old has been involved in 19 matches for his current employers this season across all competitions.
The Croatia international has led the Russian side by example based on his average of 0.7 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game in the Russian Premier League. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from the back after completing 84.7% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Russian football (stats via whoscored).
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What Will Lovren Add To West Ham United Boss David Moyes’ Team?
Lovren is usually a dominant presence on the defensive end of the field as he can use his strong 1.88m frame to overpower the opposition attackers in the air and win some important aerial duels for his team.
The 70-time Croatia international can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his side inside his half. He also doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the offensive.
A centre-half of Lovren’s experience will no doubt be a good acquisition for the Hammers in the short term. As mentioned by FIFA, Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine means that all foreign players playing in Russia would be free to terminate their contracts and join a new club before April 7th. Thus, West Ham boss David Moyes would be wise to make an attempt to land the ex-Liverpool defensive ace this month as he might be able to help them secure European football for next season.
