LIVERPOOL ANNOUNCED THEIR first signing of the season on Thursday when James Milner signed for the Reds on a free transfer. today, they followed up that piece of business with the signing of Danny Ings.
There are other areas of the team that need improving however, and here are five players Liverpool should tune their eye on.
Christian Benteke
Benteke may not be that intrigued by a move to Merseyside but if he wants to get out of Aston Villa it may be the best option he has. Chelsea are the other club that are credited with an interest in the Belgian but it remains unclear how strong that interest is. Even so, would it be wise for 24-year-old Benteke to move to a club where he would probably be warming the bench while Diego Costa starts up front for Chelsea?
The £32.5 million release clause that Tim Sherwood has publicly spoken about seems a bit steep for a player who was pretty ordinary for 18 months until he hit his hot-streak under Sherwood’s tutelage. It is the type of premium Liverpool may well have to pay however as they don’t have the bargaining chip of Champions League football to help rally players in the door.
Last summer Liverpool appeared in need of one, maybe two strikers, and ending up signing three. They need at least three more in the door this summer with none of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli or Fabio Borini anywhere near the standard that is required at Anfield. Divock Origi’s form in France on his loan spell doesn’t bode well for his chances either.
Benteke is probably the best they can hope for up front. A proven Premier League goalscorer with youth on his side and not belonging to one of the league’s bigger clubs makes him a rarity that is well worth taking a gamble on.
Keylor Navas
Despite Simon Mignolet’s improvement in the second part of the season Liverpool may still want an upgrade on the Belgian number two. Keylor Navas would be a highly alternative transfer target considering he hasn’t been linked with many clubs in the media as of yet. That will all change when Real Madrid break Manchester United fans’ hearts and sign David De Gea in the coming months. Iker Casillas has already stated he would be prepared to stay and fight for his place should De Gea arrive, leaving Navas completely in the cold as third choice keeper. He deserves much more than that.
At Levante last season Navas won La Liga Player of the Month, becoming the first goalkeeper to do so, and was also named La Liga goalkeeper of the season in 2013/14. His three man of the match awards at last year’s World Cup proves he can deliver on the biggest stage as his performances led the un-fancied Costa Rica all the way to the quarter-final where they were ultimately beaten in a penalty shootout.
He only made 11 appearances this term for Real Madrid, a figure far too low for a player of his talents. At only 28 he could be a realistic option between the Anfield goalposts for the next 8-10 years and would presumably come at a reasonable fee.
Roberto Firmino
Firmino has been strongly linked with both Liverpool and Manchester United so far this summer but United’s needs are much greater in other areas of the team than supplementing their attacking midfielder options.
Firmino has enjoyed a career season with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga and has broken out as probably the best player outside of the three main clubs of Wolfsburg, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. He also made his international debut last November and has gone on to score winning goals against Austria and Chile. After being named in Brazil’s Copa America squad his price tag could escalate if he has a good tournament.
Much of this transfer would depend on whether or not Raheem Sterling forces through a move to somewhere else, as Liverpool are actually well supplemented in this area with Phillipe Coutinho, Jordan Ibe, Lazar Markovic and the afore mentioned Sterling all competing for places. A link up with his Brazilian team-mate Coutinho may prove an attraction and would certainly get Liverpool fans excited.
Carlos Bacca
Having scored two goals in the Europa League final for Sevilla and having struck 28 goals for the Spanish side this season, Bacca will be hot property this summer. That Sevilla will be playing in the Champions League next year, and Liverpool won’t be, may scupper any chances of a deal but he has reportedly held talks with the Sevilla hierarchy about leaving the club this summer.
Liverpool’s need for a new front-man is well documented and Bacca’s pace and ability to hold up the play and bring others into the game would be perfectly suited to Liverpool’s system.
He would cost about €25 million and would appear a no-brainer should Liverpool have the chance to sign him. Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly interested also.
Daryl Janmaat
Admittedly it would not be the most high profile signature this summer but the signing of Holland’s first choice right back would be a particularly shrewd one. The 25-year-old has been good in his debut season in the Premier League this season and despite Newcastle’s woes, Janmaat has been a bright light in the dark times.
He provided six assists from right back this season for the Magpies but was also strong in defence, averaging the most tackles and most interceptions out of any of the Newcastle defenders to start 10 or more games this season.
Liverpool are badly in need of a quality right-back. Brendan Rodgers infuriating decision to play the likes of Jordan Ibe, Emre Can and even Raheem Sterling at right back this season shows how badly they are in need of a new signing in that position. Mike Ashley has always been known to make a quick profit when possible, so adding a few million onto the £5 million fee that Newcastle paid for the Dutch man should be enough to get Ashley to the negotiating table.