Five attacking midfielder signings to combine with Coutinho REGARDLESS of any opinion towards the sacking of Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, Liverpool’s stunning 5-0 win at White Hart Lane provided the final straw and the next wave of optimism regarding Liverpool’s form this season. Expectations remain on the ground, but there are an increasing number of whispers suggesting that Liverpool could maybe begin to think beyond a target of top four and look to end a drought that has lasted for over two decades. However, there is an awful long way to go yet. All areas of the Liverpool team will need to remain strong over the course of the season if any top four challenge is to materialise, let alone any title ambitions. Midfield is no different. Yet despite the upturn in form of the likes of Jordan Henderson and very, very recently, Joe Allen, the Reds are not blessed with masses of attacking quality from the centre of the field. Allen, Lucas and Henderson are all better in a deeper position, with Allen controlling the game with his passing and energy in the middle of the park, Lucas providing cover for the back four and Henderson sprinting all over the place and making attacking runs from deep, while captain Steven Gerrard performs a near world-class version of Allen’s job when fit. Coutinho is the only top class player on Liverpool’s books who plays behind the strikers, or out wide, but crucially ahead of the other names mentioned above. Whilst Luis Alberto is a promising attacking midfielder, he remains short of top-flight experience. Consequently, another attacking midfielder in January to play alongside the little Brazilian would be a welcome boost to Brendan Rodgers’ squad. There are myriad of talented attacking midfielders out there, but any one of these five could make all the difference come May. 1. Javier Pastore Bought by Paris Saint-Germain a couple of years back for nearly €40 million, the 24 year old Argentinian has been linked with a move away from the French capital as he has found it hard to cement a regular place in Laurent Blanc’s team. Lucas Moura, Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all ahead of Pastore in the pecking order; therefore it’s no surprise to see the likes of Arsenal, Roma and Lyon all linked with him. He is extremely gifted, with decent stats during his first full two seasons in Paris, with 24 goals and 16 assists. Perhaps not €40 million standard, but with the potential he has and the age he is at, €15-20 million is a risk worth taking. Furthermore, even though that price seems unlikely given what P.S.G spent on the player, because of their interest in Juan Mata of Chelsea, selling Pastore to consolidate the purchase of Mata makes the deal far more likely indeed. 2. Julian Draxler A player Brendan Rodgers went to see in Germany in a Champions League game for Schalke, Draxler is one of the hottest young midfield talent around. Linked with fellow Premier League rivals Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, Draxler has the ability to become a potential future replacement for Steven Gerrard. At just the age of 20, Draxler is one of the key men for Schalke, who themselves are gearing up for a Champions League meeting with Real Madrid, demonstrating their heightened status. However it will represent an extremely large investment, as the German has a contract until 2018 and has many big clubs chasing him. Moreover, there is no situation similar to the merry-go-round in Paris with Pastore, Mata and Chelsea. Therefore this seems less likely for Liverpool at the moment, but could happen in the summer if Liverpool do secure Champions League revenues for next season. 3. Miralem Pjanic Linked with Manchester United, Pjanic is another young, talented attacking midfielder who differs from the two above in one major way – his club are not in the Champions League. In addition, his contract expires in 18 months so if a Champions League club came in, Roma would probably be willing to hash out a deal for Pjanic if it seems contract negotiations are getting nowhere. This deal is more suited to the summer transfer window from Liverpool’s perspective because, like the team from the Italian capital, they currently do not possess Champions League football. However, they have a serious chance in achieving it this season in the toughest league in the world. Add in £20 million and a January deal is far from the realms of impossibility. However, given that Roma are in a similar position to Liverpool in Serie A, a summer move is still the best bet so Pjanic may not be the first option for Rodgers if he is looking to buy in January. 4. Diego A free agent in the summer, Diego would cost peanuts if Liverpool made a move for the Brazilian in January. Despite some inconsistencies, Diego has demonstrated that he has proven talent and would fit in well with compatriot Coutinho. However, he is 29 in February and does not possess the quality of Pastore, Draxler and Pjanic. On the other hand, Diego would be massively cheaper, probably around £5m compared to the £20-40m of the others. Potentially more of a back up to Coutinho rather than a fellow starter, Diego would still significantly strengthen Liverpool’s squad in their quest for top four or beyond. 5. Georginio Wijnaldum A player spoken about for a long time, someone with bags of natural talent and ability, Georginio Wijnaldum has burst into prominence following his move from Feyenoord to PSV. Although admittedly in the Dutch league (where you can get a Luis Suarez or an Alfonso Alves!), the new PSV captain has scored 35 times in the last two seasons and provided 17 assist in that time as well. With pace, trickery and lots of skills, Wijnaldum could light up the Premier League with Liverpool. Furthermore, he is only 23 and could probably be bought for around £8-12 million, representing a possible bargain like with Coutinho. However, there is stiff competition for the Dutch midfielder, with Arsenal one of the other clubs interested. live4liverpoollockett
Posted on: Sun, 22 Dec 2013 10:26:14 +0000
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