Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has completed a £10.9million move to Zenit St Petersburg.
The 31-year-old has ended six seasons at Anfield having made just 15 appearances this term, falling to fourth-choice centre-back in the pecking order behind Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
Lovren, who was troubled with niggling injuries over the last two years, was set to enter the final year of his contract but Liverpool chose not to take up an option they had for a 12-month extension to allow the Croatian to join the Russian side.
Scroll down for more
“Another Liverpool legend who leaves the club, because he was absolutely a very, very important part of this team from the first day since I was in,” manager Jurgen Klopp told liverpoolfc.com.
“When he was fit, he was very, very, very often in the team. A great player and a great person.
“Really good, in the air a machine, and I really liked working together with him. It will be interesting to follow Zenit St Petersburg now. I wish him the best of luck.”
👏 'He's been so important to us'
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) July 27, 2020
🔴 Jurgen Klopp pays tribute to Dejan Lovren, who is leaving Liverpool for Zenit.
🏃♂️ 185 apps
⚽️ Eight goals
🔄 Five assists
🤑 £20m transfer fee
🗓 Six years' service
🏆 1x Champions League
🏆 1x Premier League
👇 #LFCpic.twitter.com/jjwdaLY5xQ
Mo Salah paid tribute in a video on Twitter, saying: "We are going to miss you a lot, especially me. You've been a great friend for me and an unbelievable player, I love you so much. You've been great on the field and also off it so thank you for everything you did for the club and everything you did for me.
"I wish you all the best for the future and that you enjoy your new club with your family."
🤜🤛 @MoSalah's special farewell message to @Dejan06Lovren... pic.twitter.com/aqc4pNmO9L
— Liverpool FC (Premier League Champions 🏆) (@LFC) July 27, 2020
Follow Sporting Life on social - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC
Related football content
- Latest football previews and tips
- Coronavirus: Returning sports
- Sporting Life App: Android & iOS
- Guide: How to bet online
Responsible gambling
We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org
Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.
