Liverpool have called off negotiations with Roma over the transfer of Dejan Lovren after growing frustrated at their attempts to unsettle the player and a failure to formalise the offer that was discussed, sources have told ESPN FC.

The Serie A club communicated that they were willing to put together a package that would see the defender earn £3.6 million a year, while the European champions were to receive a fee in excess of £15m.

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However, Roma did not submit a official bid and instead worked with Italian intermediaries to try and negotiate a small loan sum for the Croatia international.

This has made Lovren restless and the situation is an annoyance to their manager Paulo Fonseca, who viewed him as an experienced addition following the sale of Kostas Manolas to Napoli.

Roma have been exploring the possibility of recruiting Daniele Rugani from Juventus, but are also understood to be looking at Lovren's international teammate Domagoj Vida and Manchester United's Marcos Rojo.

Liverpool are still open to offers for the 30-year-old, who is behind Joe Gomez and Joel Matip to partner Virgil van Dijk at centre-back.

Lovren is not content with being fourth choice and is aware of the club's desire to expedite the development of promising teenage Dutch defenders Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg.