Crystal Palace have recently been linked with a move for Liverpool centre-back Dejan Lovren as they weigh up their summer options in the transfer market.
According to TEAMtalk, Palace are one of the sides keen on signing Lovren as Liverpool look to sell the defender ahead of next season.
West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham are also said to be interested in Lovren, providing some competition for his signature.
But, would he be a good signing for Palace? Here are four reasons why he could be.
AVAILABILITY
As the report says, Liverpool are actively looking to sell Lovren this summer. Due to this, their price tag could drop down as they look to make sure that he moves on before the end of the transfer window. This means that Palace could end up getting a bargain deal for the centre-back, assuming this is the case.
The caveat, however, is that other teams are interested and it could come down to who is willing to pay the most in wages. Whether or not Palace would be able to win that battle remains to be seen, but a lower transfer fee could be a big boost for the Eagles.
FORM THIS SEASON
Lovren has started 12 games for Liverpool across the Premier League and Champions League this season, accruing an average WhoScored rating of 7.02. This is higher than any Palace defender has managed in the Premier League this season, suggesting that he could be an excellent addition to the squad.
It also shows that, despite a lack of regular game time, Lovren is able to produce whenever he is needed – to a level worthy of improving Palace’s squad. Whilst he may not be good enough to feature regularly for Liverpool, as shown by his lack of starts, Palace are much further down the Premier League pecking order and could benefit from his quality.
EXPERIENCE
Along with his form this season, Lovren also has a vast amount of experience at the elite level of football. Lovren has played over 200 top-flight games across Ligue 1 and the Premier League, along with 74 appearances in Europe throughout his career.
He has played well over 100 Premier League games and knows the division inside and out. This means that it should take less time for him to settle at Selhurst Park than if they signed a player from another European league who could need an adaptation period before hitting their stride.
DEFENSIVE CONSISTENCY
Palace have struggled to find a consistent partner for Gary Cahill in the Premier League this season. Cahill has started 20 Premier League games at centre-back, with no other defender managing more than that this season out of the 29 matches. Signing Lovren could allow Palace to move on one of Scott Dann, Mamadou Sakho or James Tomkins and have him and Cahill as the starting pair.
This could then result in consistency in the defence, helping to add more structure to the side. It could be hard for Palace to be consistent when they are chopping and changing their centre-backs each week, with Sakho, Tomkins and Dann all starting more than five Premier League matches.
