It seems that Dejan Lovren is trying to give Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a reason not to recruit a new defender in this transfer window.

The centre-back, who is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, has had his critics during the last four years at Anfield.

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The 28-year-old has struggled with consistency, and at times has felt the wrath of Liverpool supporters.

Since Virgil van Dijk signed from Southampton in January, though, a significant improvement has been seen in Lovren's game.

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With Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan also within Klopp's squad, questions have been raised over who will partner Van Dijk in the upcoming season.

Judging from Thursday night's World Cup clash between Croatia and Argentina, Lovren is making a very strong case to keep the pairing.

It was a glorious night for Croatia as they earned a surprise 3-0 victory over a Lionel Messi-led Argentina team to reach the last 16 of the tournament in Russia.

Anyone could be forgiven for thinking that Messi would run riot against Lovren, but he more than held his own by blocking shots and clearing the ball on six occasions - more than any of his teammates.

The defender also gave decent distribution, recording the best pass rate than all of the other Croatia players that were named in the first XI.

It is unsure whether Klopp is seeking a new figure to play alongside Van Dijk, but Lovren's recent performances will certainly give the Liverpool boss something to think about.