Liverpool send scouts to Lazio, but wingers not required
Published:Reports from Italy suggest Liverpool have been watching former Barcelona youth-teamer Keita Balde Diao, but signing another winger seems as though it should be low on the priority list.
It was only a matter of time before Liverpool’s blemish-free season acquired a few zits and successive losses have confirmed what many already suspected; that Liverpool are still far from the finished article.
That damp squib of a performance which led to defeat at home to Southampton in the Premier League has seen the Reds’ price for the top four slip to 7/4, behind both Arsenal at 1/2 and Tottenham 21/10.
For all the early plaudits, Brendan Rodgers would have been expecting hiccups and now they’ve duly arrived, the news that his scouts are searching for yet another young winger seems a little odd.
Balde Diao is an 18-year-old Spanish-born winger of Senegalese origin, who moved from Barca to Lazio in 2011, and has just broken onto the fringes of the Serie A club’s first team.
After making a brief substitute appearance against Chievo, his full debut arrived in the Europa League against Legia Warsaw where he impressed by setting up the only goal of the game, as Liverpool’s scouts apparently watched on.
However, while the youngster may well have a bright future, a look at Liverpool’s squad – which is literally swimming with potential wingers – tells us this is not area in need of strengthening.
At present Rodgers can pick from Raheem Sterling, Luis Alberto, Jordan Ibe and Victor Moses to operate out wide, while Jordan Henderson, Iago Aspas and Philippe Coutinho are all auxiliary wide-men when required.
Added to this, Suso, Oussama Assaidi and Fabio Borini are all still Liverpool players despite being loaned out at present.
Liverpool travel to Sunderland next, where they’re priced as 4/6 favourites to get back on track with a much needed victory.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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