Southampton Will Have Final Say on Dejan Lovren's Liverpool Move, Says Le Tissier

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier believes the club are firmly in control of Dejan Lovren's future despite the defender's desire to join Liverpool.

The south-coast club rejected an opening offer of £20m from the red half of Merseyside, a move that prompted a furious response from Lovren who declared his "head is already at Liverpool".

The Croatian's comments understandably provoked a furious reaction from Saints fans and Le Tissier believes until Liverpool make an offer that satisfies Southampton's demands then the player can have no say on the proposed move.

"Dejan hasn't endeared himself too much with the Southampton public with some of the stuff he has come out and said during this from my point of view," Le Tissier told Sky Sports Radio.

"I don't think a player should be commenting, saying his heart or his head is elsewhere at a different football club when the football club he is at is still paying his wages. Until the club that wants to buy him agrees a fee that they [Southampton] are happy with, then I think the player should keep his mouth shut, to be honest."

Following the departure of former manager Mauricio Pochettino, Southampton have already cashed in on Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana this summer, having also allowed Rickie Lambert to leave and join boyhood club Liverpool. However, the club have refused to yield to the latest offer from Brendan Rodgers' side for Lovren.

The former Lyon defender recently made his feelings known in an interview with the Croatian press.

"Look, I'd gladly stay in Southampton if the club had any ambitions, if they kept the key players," Lovren told Croatian paper Sportske Novosti.

"Liverpool sent the offer and the club haven't informed me," he said. "Not even about the subsequent Liverpool bids. That wasn't right.

"I found out about the bid from other people which disappointed me and I realised I've got no business staying at Southampton. Frankly, my head is already at Liverpool."