Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren is nearing a move to Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg, which would end a six-year stay on Merseyside.
Lovren - who famously called himself 'one of the best defenders in the world' following Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup final - has largely been surplus to requirements at Anfield this season, making just 15 appearances in all competitions.
With just a year remaining on his current contract and no sign of him re-emerging as a first choice option at Liverpool, Mirror Sport now report that Lovren is closing in on a move to Russia - with Zenit close to completing a deal worth £10m.
Lovren was close to leaving the club last summer, but a move to Roma failed to materialise as the Serie A giants wanted to take him on an initial loan deal.
12 months on and he looks set to have his wish to permanently leave granted, though it's claimed that he's looking for an increase on the £75,000-per-week wages that he currently trousers at Liverpool.
When asked last week about the possibility of Lovren's departure, head coach Jurgen Klopp remained tight-lipped and stated that 'nothing is decided'. He went on to dismiss claims of signing a replacement for the 31-year-old, noting: "If we cannot speak about potential departure we cannot speak about replacement. Nothing in the moment."
Lovren joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2014 and enjoyed a strong start to his career on Merseyside. But he has since fallen down the pecking order as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have established themselve as Klopp's number one pairing, while Joel Matip has impressed this season - despite his number of appearances in the first time being limited by injury.
If Lovren is to get his move away from the club, he leaves as a Champions League and Premier League winner - with his 10 league appearances for Liverpool this season enough to secure him a medal.
Source : 90min