Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has just over a year remaining on his current deal at Anfield.
Lovren has been widely tipped to leave Liverpool in the summer, after falling down the pecking order this term.
The Croatian is very much fourth choice centre-back for the Reds now, and he has just one year left on his deal at Anfield.
However, Warnock thinks that letting go of Lovren would be a real risk for Liverpool.
And the former Reds full-back insists that he thinks Lovren still can perform a valuable role for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
“He is still a top-class defender,” he said. “To replace Dejan Lovren with a player of equal or better quality, how much is that going to cost Liverpool and is it a gamble you can take?
“Jurgen Klopp knows Lovren is a good professional, he likes him in and around the changing room. Lovren also has a great relationship with Mo Salah and [as a manager] you have to be careful what you do within the changing room.
“Lovren also knows he will be called upon at certain times. With Liverpool fighting on seven fronts this season he knew he was going to get game time.
“I can see him staying and it wouldn’t be a surprise, in the end, if he were to sign an extension to his deal.”
Lovren actually went on record earlier this season to suggest that he feels he can play for another five years.
However, whether he will be offered another game time at Liverpool to keep him happy remains to be seen.
The Reds already have Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip who are ahead of him, while there are also high hopes for Sepp van den Berg.
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