Liverpool’s Ilori would benefit from Valencia loan move
Published:Given that Liverpool’s current centre-back roll-call contains more names than a national census at present, sending out 20-year-old Tiago Ilori on loan to Valencia in January would benefit all parties involved.
Having just agreed to released French centre-back Adil Ramy on loan to AC Milan following a public spat, cash-strapped La Liga outfit Valencia are in need of defensive reinforcement.
In Liverpool’s £7m summer signing from Sporting Lisbon, Los Che may just have the perfect solution.
Despite being prepared to shell-out that sort of fee on the young Portuguese centre-back, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has yet to find a way of accommodating him in seven of his nine matchday squads so far, while he’s been an unused sub in the last two.
And with Liverpool having forged such an impressive start to their season – where they share a slice of the top-spot with Arsenal – it’s difficult to see that changing.
Because Ilori arrived very late in the transfer window alongside Mamadou Sakho, it seems that preparations to make room for him were not soundly thought through, perhaps with one eye on
the competition for his signature.
Costing £18m, it was only natural that Sakho got his turn first, but with Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Kolo Toure, Andre Wisdom and potentially even Martin Kelly ahead of him in the pecking order; it was always going to be tough to get a look in.
In fact, this glut of centre-backs has already seen Rodgers opting to play with three at the back, which demonstrates Ilori’s predicament.
Therefore, sending him away to get first-team football at a high level would be the best thing to do for the young player, who could then be ingratiated again next summer, as an even better player.
After their impressive start to the season, Liverpool are now as short as 6/5 to still be in the Champions League spots at the end of the season.
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