By Richard Murphy
With the season's end rapidly approaching, most club owners and managers will be frantically working on deals to bring players in during the summer. Liverpool are certainly no exception to this. Brendan Rodgers and his staff will have identified all possible targets. The question is: can, or in some cases, have the deals been completed?
During the Summer transfer window there are two types of deals to be made. The usual transfer, where a club makes an approach to another club and makes an official offer. Then there are the players who are out of contract and available on a free transfer. There are benefits to both scenario's. The benefit of a free transfer is obvious but with it comes a players wage demands, which are generally higher than that of a contracted player. So a club has to weigh up the pros and cons.
Looking at the players that (at present) are available on a free transfer. Some would instantly improve the first team at Liverpool and others would improve the squad depth. Both of which are required if Liverpool are to take a step forward.
Firstly, Liverpool themselves have 2 players who will be out of contract come the summer. Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan. Both right backs but at completely different stages in their careers. Johnson is a veteran, who's form has declined alarmingly over the last few seasons. Whereas Flanagan had his breakthrough season last year before injury ended it early. Liverpool's owners (FSG) are likely not to offer Johnson another contract as he is now into his 30's and probably unwilling to drop his high wage demands. Flanagan is a homegrown local, the fans love him for his "no nonsense" attitude to playing. Unless there is a complication with his injury, he will be offered a new contract.
A goalkeeper is desperately required- one that will test Simone Mignolet and push him for his first team position. The pickings are slim on this one: Norberto Murara Neto from Fiorentina and Sergio Romero of Sampdoria. Certainly neither is an upgrade over Mignolet, but as backups they would improve the squad significantly. Would they come to the EPL from the relative comfort of the Serie A just to warm the bench is another matter.
The top available centre backs are Andrea Ranocchia of Inter, Carlos Zambrano of Eintracht Frankfurt and Ron Vlaar of Aston Villa. Vlaar has the bonus of being an established EPL player but he has several weaknesses. Most notably his weak passing, which would be essential to play in a Brendan Rodgers team and his aerial ability, which is questionable to say the least at times. That coupled with a fairly poor season for Aston Villa would count him out. Zambrano is a good, solid tackler but can often be an overly wreckless centre back. His discipine would be a major worry and that outweighs his defensive ability. That leaves Ranocchia, the Inter captain. An excellent centre back, great in the tackle, composed on the ball and dominant in the air. He would push most teams in world football for a starting place. He should be one of two definite signings that Liverpool need to be targeting heavily.
There are 3 viable options when it comes to the defensive midfield role and with Lucas Leiva becoming more and more injury prone, one of even two of the options should be seriously looked at. Nigel De Jong, Stéphane Mbia and Sami Khedira. Both De Jong and Mbia are experienced DM's with great tackling ability and organisational skills. De Jong maybe having the upper hand due to his previous stint at Manchester City compared to Mbia's one season at QPR. Both again would signicantly improve the Liverpool squad and would push Lucas for that starting position. Sami Khedira on the other hand is a world class DM and would walk onto almost every team. His reading of the game is excellent and his passing is exceptional. He is able to control a game which is an incredible asset to have. Obviously, the fact that he is available this summer means that there will be no shortage of teams vying for his signature. Liverpool must be in the race for that signature. He's simply too good not to at least try.
That leaves two Englishmen, again at different ends of their careers, but both would be great additions to the Liverpool squad. Firstly James Milner. A versatile midfielder that can literally play in almost every position. This season alone he's played as a defensive midfielder, as a right and left winger, central midfield and as an emergency striker. All this in a very strong Manchester City team. Also, since his International debut, he has made more appearances than anyone else in the England team. Secondly there's Danny Ings, a 23 year old striker who is currently playing for Burnley. On a struggling team he has 9 goals and 4 assists this year. Proving that he is capable of making the step up. Could he do it on a bigger club like Liverpool? Only time would tell. At his age, even if it didn't work out for him at Anfield he would have a sell on value. Which is music to FSG's ears.
So in short, of the players available this summer the ones who would benefit Liverpool the most would be Ranocchia, Khedira, Milner and Ings. Ranocchia and Khedira as immediate first teamers, Milner and Ings as fantastic additions to the squad.
With the season's end rapidly approaching, most club owners and managers will be frantically working on deals to bring players in during the summer. Liverpool are certainly no exception to this. Brendan Rodgers and his staff will have identified all possible targets. The question is: can, or in some cases, have the deals been completed?
During the Summer transfer window there are two types of deals to be made. The usual transfer, where a club makes an approach to another club and makes an official offer. Then there are the players who are out of contract and available on a free transfer. There are benefits to both scenario's. The benefit of a free transfer is obvious but with it comes a players wage demands, which are generally higher than that of a contracted player. So a club has to weigh up the pros and cons.
Looking at the players that (at present) are available on a free transfer. Some would instantly improve the first team at Liverpool and others would improve the squad depth. Both of which are required if Liverpool are to take a step forward.
Firstly, Liverpool themselves have 2 players who will be out of contract come the summer. Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan. Both right backs but at completely different stages in their careers. Johnson is a veteran, who's form has declined alarmingly over the last few seasons. Whereas Flanagan had his breakthrough season last year before injury ended it early. Liverpool's owners (FSG) are likely not to offer Johnson another contract as he is now into his 30's and probably unwilling to drop his high wage demands. Flanagan is a homegrown local, the fans love him for his "no nonsense" attitude to playing. Unless there is a complication with his injury, he will be offered a new contract.
A goalkeeper is desperately required- one that will test Simone Mignolet and push him for his first team position. The pickings are slim on this one: Norberto Murara Neto from Fiorentina and Sergio Romero of Sampdoria. Certainly neither is an upgrade over Mignolet, but as backups they would improve the squad significantly. Would they come to the EPL from the relative comfort of the Serie A just to warm the bench is another matter.
The top available centre backs are Andrea Ranocchia of Inter, Carlos Zambrano of Eintracht Frankfurt and Ron Vlaar of Aston Villa. Vlaar has the bonus of being an established EPL player but he has several weaknesses. Most notably his weak passing, which would be essential to play in a Brendan Rodgers team and his aerial ability, which is questionable to say the least at times. That coupled with a fairly poor season for Aston Villa would count him out. Zambrano is a good, solid tackler but can often be an overly wreckless centre back. His discipine would be a major worry and that outweighs his defensive ability. That leaves Ranocchia, the Inter captain. An excellent centre back, great in the tackle, composed on the ball and dominant in the air. He would push most teams in world football for a starting place. He should be one of two definite signings that Liverpool need to be targeting heavily.
There are 3 viable options when it comes to the defensive midfield role and with Lucas Leiva becoming more and more injury prone, one of even two of the options should be seriously looked at. Nigel De Jong, Stéphane Mbia and Sami Khedira. Both De Jong and Mbia are experienced DM's with great tackling ability and organisational skills. De Jong maybe having the upper hand due to his previous stint at Manchester City compared to Mbia's one season at QPR. Both again would signicantly improve the Liverpool squad and would push Lucas for that starting position. Sami Khedira on the other hand is a world class DM and would walk onto almost every team. His reading of the game is excellent and his passing is exceptional. He is able to control a game which is an incredible asset to have. Obviously, the fact that he is available this summer means that there will be no shortage of teams vying for his signature. Liverpool must be in the race for that signature. He's simply too good not to at least try.
That leaves two Englishmen, again at different ends of their careers, but both would be great additions to the Liverpool squad. Firstly James Milner. A versatile midfielder that can literally play in almost every position. This season alone he's played as a defensive midfielder, as a right and left winger, central midfield and as an emergency striker. All this in a very strong Manchester City team. Also, since his International debut, he has made more appearances than anyone else in the England team. Secondly there's Danny Ings, a 23 year old striker who is currently playing for Burnley. On a struggling team he has 9 goals and 4 assists this year. Proving that he is capable of making the step up. Could he do it on a bigger club like Liverpool? Only time would tell. At his age, even if it didn't work out for him at Anfield he would have a sell on value. Which is music to FSG's ears.
So in short, of the players available this summer the ones who would benefit Liverpool the most would be Ranocchia, Khedira, Milner and Ings. Ranocchia and Khedira as immediate first teamers, Milner and Ings as fantastic additions to the squad.