Liverpool Star To Undergo Position Change As Klopp Decides Against New Signing: Report

Liverpool FC boss Jurgen Klopp reportedly has decided to not sign a replacement for center-back Dejan Lovren, who has moved to Russia in the ongoing summer transfer window.

Lovren, who joined the Anfield side in 2014, made just 15 competitive appearances last season after he had fallen to fourth-choice center-back in the pecking order behind Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Joel Matip. Soon after winning the Premier League in June, Liverpool announced they had sold Lovren to Russian club Zenit St Petersburg for $14 million.

The likes of Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Real Betis’ Aissa Mandi were once linked with a move to Anfield as a replacement for the Croatian center-back. Liverpool eventually backed out of the race to sign Koulibaly because of the transfer fee Napoli had quoted for the Senegal defender. Initially, Napoli had demanded $103 million, but now it is believed that the Italian side has reduced Koulibaly’s asking price to $84 million, which is still a lot for The Reds.

Koulibaly is currently heavily linked with Manchester City, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keeping an eye on the player’s transfer situation as well.

Since Klopp has not been given a free hand to make big-money signings this summer, the German boss has decided to ask Fabinho to cover at the back when needed ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

Fabinho, who plays as a defensive midfielder, has made a great impact since his arrival to Anfield from Monaco at $64 million in the summer of 2018. He is one of the most composed players in the team and has played a vital role in front of the back four, helping Liverpool win various tournaments, including the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and the Premier League, which was their first league title in 30 long years.

Sports website Teamtalk has claimed that if there will be a need in the back four, Fabinho will be asked to act as a cover during the upcoming season. The report has also stated that should Liverpool manage to sign Thiago Alcantara, Klopp would have a free hand to push Fabinho in the heart of their defense, and that way, the side won’t need Lovren’s replacement any time soon.