Lovren set for £10.9m Zenit move, Soucek signs permanent West Ham deal
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Dejan Lovren’s six-year career with Liverpool appears to be drawing to an end with the defender close to joining Zenit St Petersburg for €12m (£10.9m).
Liverpool recently took up an option to extend the Croatia international’s contract by 12 months to 2022, protecting his value before an expected transfer and dashing suitors’ hopes of signing the experienced defender on a cut-price deal.
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Lovren has made 15 appearances for Jürgen Klopp’s team this season – including nine starts in the Premier League title-winning campaign – but is keen to secure more regular first-team football with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joël Matip ahead of him in the pecking order.
The 31-year-old, who signed from Southampton for £20m in 2014, has made 185 appearances for Liverpool but is close to finalising terms with the Russian champions.
West Ham, meanwhile, have completed the signing of Tomas Soucek on a permanent deal after securing their Premier League survival.
Soucek has impressed since arriving on loan from Slavia Prague in January, giving West Ham greater presence in midfield and scoring three times in 12 appearances. The deal is worth €21m (£19.1m) – including the loan fee of €4.5m – and the Czech Republic international has signed a four-year contract.
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It is likely Soucek would not have stayed had West Ham gone down but the club finalised the transfer after winning their battle against relegation thanks to a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Wednesday. The 25-year-old has played a crucial role in their push for safety, forming a solid partnership in midfield with Declan Rice and Mark Noble, and is highly regarded by David Moyes.
“I’m delighted that Tomas has signed his permanent contract to secure his long-term future,” West Ham’s manager said. “When I came in, we talked about needing another midfield player, to help Declan Rice and Mark Noble, and I think he’s been a really good fit for us.
“He’s a terrific lad with very good physical capabilities. He has scored some really important goals for us, against Chelsea, Newcastle and Watford. We’re glad he’s going to be a West Ham player for a good period to come.”
Moyes has spoken about the need for West Ham, who are determined to fend off interest from Chelsea in Declan Rice, to target young, hungry players. They are monitoring Queens Park Rangers’ Ryan Manning and Eberechi Eze, Brentford’s Saïd Benrahma and Wigan’s Cédric Kipré and Antonee Robinson.
