90min

Dejan Lovren claims Liverpool miss him more than he misses them

By Matt O'Connor-Simpson

Lovren is no stranger to a controversial statement, describing himself as one the world's best defenders back in 2018
Lovren is no stranger to a controversial statement, describing himself as one the world's best defenders back in 2018 / Silvia Lore/Getty Images
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Dejan Lovren has claimed he believes Liverpool have missed him more than he has missed them this season.

Lovren's six year spell at Anfield - in which he made 185 appearances - came to an end in the summer when he joined Zenit St. Petersburg on a free transfer. Since then, his former side have seen starting centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez struck down with injury, while Joel Matip is also out.

Lovren played 10 games in Liverpool's 2019/2020 Premier League winning season
Lovren played 10 games in Liverpool's 2019/2020 Premier League winning season / Pool/Getty Images

Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have started in defence recently, meaning Lovren would no doubt have received more playing time than last season had he stuck around. During his final campaign in Merseyside he made ten league appearances before opting to sign for Zenit in a £10m deal.

In a recent interview with Sport Express (via the Daily Mirror), Lovren insisted he had no regrets over his exit.

He said: "No, I don't regret [leaving]. My decision in the summer was firm - to leave Liverpool, and I do not look back. I got upset last season when I didn't play, but now everything is different.

"I think Liverpool miss me more than I miss them and Jurgen Klopp knows this, because we communicate. He wrote recently: 'We miss you.' I spoke with Jurgen [after I left], but I will not disclose details. Jurgen said only good things and wished him luck."

Since joining Zenit, Lovren has been ever present for Sergei Semak's side, making 23 appearances in all competitions and featuring in all but one of their Champions League group games.

After neglecting to sign a replacement for the Croatian in the summer, Liverpool could be tempted to dip into the transfer market this month, with released Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos previously linked with a shock short-term move.

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