AC Milan have made a move for Lyon defender Dejan Lovren, who is also being tracked by Liverpool for a bid in the summer, according to talkSPORT. The news will come as a major shock for Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers who is already facing competition from Lokomotiv Moscow, Inter Milan, Rubin Kazan, Chelsea and Sevilla for the player's signature.

Dejan Lovren

The Reds are in the market for a defender to replace Jamie Carragher who is set to retire at the end of the season and the 23-year-old Croatian is high among his list of prospective targets for the summer. Chelsea were also linked with a move for the player as a replacement for David Luiz but are yet to show any official interest. Lovren has made 22 appearances this season for Lyon and is held in high regard in the Ligue 1 circuit.

Liverpool are also in the race to keep Daniel Agger at Anfield, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer. The defender had revealed that he would prefer a move to Spain if the Catalans came calling and Rodgers will have a tough time keeping the player if the Spanish giants do make a serious bid in the following transfer window.

Rodgers is expected to keep a keen eye on Agger's situation and may have to move in for more than one defender if they are unable to contain the 28-year-old till the end of the season. However, The Denmark international has recently signed a two year extension on his current contract, which has bound him at the club till 2016, giving the former Swansea manager some space to negotiate.

Liverpool have been linked with a vast array of defenders this season and have a lot of backup options if a move for Lovren fails to materialize. Mamadou Sakho and Stefan de Vrij are among the few to be linked with a move to Anfield, while Ashley Williams is another player who may follow Joe Allen from Rodgers' former club Swansea. The owners have reportedly sanctioned a £10m bid for the player, but with Arsenal and Manchester United also interested it may not be sufficient for Swansea to part with the 28-year-old.