Liverpool must consider bidding for bitter rivals’ surplus stocks
Published:
The voices have been unanimous where Liverpool’s purchase of Danny Ings is concerned; it’s a step in the right direction, but the promising Burnley striker’s signing must be backed up by the arrival of a more established name.
Former Reds midfielder Danny Murphy, now a regular BBC pundit, is the latest to cite Ings’ Anfield arrival as encouraging but with the caveat Liverpool must still add a”top-class” striker to their ranks before summer’s end.
A noble sentiment from Murphy, echoed by many others it would seem, but in reality the options for his old employers are narrow.
Flash back to the same transfer window in 2014 and Liverpool effectively had far more going for them as a proposition, back in the Champions League and runners-up in England, yet ended up with the 11th-hour signing of Mario Balotelli after losing talisman Luis Suarez.
The Merseyside giants had been linked with the likes of Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain all summer long, but what transpired was a backfiring gamble instead.
Benzema is now expected to maintain his elusion of the Premier League’s elite clubs once more this summer, while Chelsea, if any English outfit at all, look favourites to land Higuain should he part ways with Napoli.
With viable continental conquests in shorter supply than Sepp Blatter sympathisers, it may just be much closer to home that Brendan Rodgers and FSG turn.
Down the M62, it’s looking as if nemeses Manchester United will be willing to let one, if not two of the strikers currently on the payroll leave Old Trafford.
Robin van Persie is almost certain to seek pastures new with Serie A’s finest forming an orderly queue, but if the 31-year-old Dutchman wishes to stay in England then his track record of switching between big clubs offers a ray of hope to Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Javier Hernandez may claim to desire a resurrection of his Red Devils career, but Chicarito’s stock has fallen considerably at Old Trafford since making such a splash under Sir Alex Ferguson in his debut ‘super-sub’ campaign.
The prospect of regular football, after more bench warming on loan at Real Madrid, could grab the Mexican’s attention.
With the Louis van Gaal holding court, rather than entrenched Liverpool-despising Ferguson, the chances of movement between the clubs is arguably greater than it’s been for over quarter of a century.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
