FC Barcelona Transfer Rumor: Will Dejan Lovren Sign with Barca?

Spanish sports magazine El Mundo Deportivo reports that FC Barcelona may want to sign Dejan Lovren from Olympique Lyonnais during the summer transfer window. The report by was published in the online magazine Inside Futbol.

The primary reason for the interest in Lovren is because of Carles Puyol and his frequent injuries on the field. The secondary reason is Lovren is in his twenties while Puyol is in his thirties.

A brief discussion about Lovren is needed before concluding whether Barca should (or will) sign him or not.

Who is Dejan Lovran?

Lovren (according to the Olympique Lyonnais webpage) is a Croatian defender who plays for the Ligue 1 team and his country’s national team. He began his career playing for Dinamo Zagreb before moving to France.

During his period with Dinamo Zagreb, Lovren was loaned to Inter Zapresic. He also participated in the Croatian Cup and championships.

He was part of the Olympique Lyonnais team that won the 2011-2012 Coupe de France. During the 2011-2012 football season, Lovren participated in the UEFA Champions League and French League club.

Lovren’s record from last season (according to the Olympique Lyonnais website) was one goal within 31 matches. He also accumulated 2,639 minutes in matches played.

Is Lovran Barca Material?

Lovren may have an impressive record in Olympique Lyonnais but it will not be enough for him at Barca. Can Lovren adjust his style of play to that of Barca?

It may take Lovren time to adjust to the Tiki Taka style of FC Barcelona after being with La Ligue. Maybe Lovren is able to learn but signing a player outside of Barca and teaching a new style takes time.

The possibility exists that Barca may sign a player from their youth club or Barca B. The players from Barca B are experienced in the style of play of La Blaugrana since they belong to the club.

The next possibility that may keep Lovren away from FC Barcelona is money. UEFA has the new law called Financial Fair Play which deals with a club’s fiscal responsibility.

FC Barcelona belongs to UEFA and has to take into account this law. According to the FC Barcelona website, the club’s 2011-2012 budget included an income of $579 million and a profit of $25.1 million.

La Blaugrana would have to be careful about how it spends its money. The club also has yet to prepare a budget for 2012-2013.

Conclusion

The idea of FC Barcelona signing Dejan Lovren during the summer transfer window is just another rumor. It will remain that way until there is an actual press conference announcing the news with Lovren wearing a Barca uniform.