JURGEN: LOVREN PAY RISE IS RIGHT

JURGEN KLOPP has hit out at critics of Dejan Lovren’s new deal and insisted he would try to sign the defender if he wasn’t already at Liverpool. The Croatia international, who moved to Anfield in the summer of 2014, has signed a contract that will keep him on Merseyside until 2021. The deal is estimated to be worth £100,000 per week. Lovren was poor in the 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace, but Klopp said: ‘In a situation like this I know how football supporters think. ‘If you had asked them after the Borussia Dortmund game (last season), they would have said, “Give him a 20-year contract”. When you see the Crystal Palace game they think, “Can we find another team who could have him?” The truth is in between. In a situation like this you have to look outside. If Dejan played for another club, you would think about signing him and then you think what you’d have to pay for him and it would be a big number. He is a good footballer. Sometimes decision-making could be better but no-one out there — we watch a lot — is perfect.’