Leandro Damiao: Is he suited to Liverpool?

Leandro Damiao – A prospective Red?

Another week in the transfer window, and another Brazilian linked with Liverpool FC. This time it’s the 24-year-old Internacional centre forward Leandro Damião, whose name graces the transfer gossip pages. He’s another player who’ll fit the bill in terms of big spend, but is he the right player for LFC?

Background

Damião began his career as a midfielder, playing in youth sides in Santa Catarina in southern Brazil, but his progress was slow and he almost gave up on football at the age of 18. He comments in this interview on the FIFA website, that he was very close to looking for work outside of football in order to help his family:

“When I went to [Atlético] Ibirama a lot of people said I wasn’t good enough. I had an awful lot of problems to face and I nearly gave up football to go and help my family.”

A change of position brought a change in fortune. The club gave him a second chance in his new role as a center forward, and the goals started flowing. His performances in the Santa Catarina state championships attracted interest from clubs in the upper echelons in Brazilian football, and he eventually signed for Porto Alegre based club Internacional in 2009.

His rise continued at Inter, where he was promoted from the U20s to the first team reserves almost immediately, and it wasn’t long before he was making his debut for the senior squad, first in the Gaúcho state championships, then the Brazilian top flight, and then in the big one – the Copa Libertadores.

His appearance in the 2010 Copa Libertadores was short and sweet. He played just over 18 minutes in the entire competition, but his contribution was great, as he scored a goal almost as soon as he entered the field of play in the second leg of the final. Internacional won the cup and Damião had himself a Copa Libertadores medal.

In 2011, he formed a formidable partnership with another promising young Brazilian named Oscar. The attacking midfielder had recently joined from Sao Paulo, and between them they played some part in almost all of Internacional’s goals that season, such was their chemistry in attack.

Oscar now plays his football in the English Premier League for Chelsea, and is a vital part of the current Brazil set-up, but Damião’s progress has stalled somewhat.

Leandro was set to become the focal point of Brazil’s attack under previous manager Mano Menezes, as they looked to build a future proof squad, along with a future proof playing style which was more reliant on team play than individual stars.

Unfortunately, this plan came to an end when Mano Menezes was sacked due to some poor results, and a failure to win the much coveted Olympic gold at the London 2012 games.

Much of the good work done by Menezes has been continued, and some of his young squad has remained intact under Luiz Felipe Scolari but, due in part to some injuries at unfortunate times, Damião has been replaced by Fred as the Selecao’s focal point.

A move to Europe might just be what Damião needs. Many of his countrymen have moved to Europe’s higher profile leagues in order to stay in the public eye, as they look to remain in contention for the national team. A similar move could see Damião reclaim his place in the squad, if not the first XI, for the all important 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Style

Out and out striker in every sense of the word – Damiao

Damião is a complete center forward and can lead the line as well as dropping deep to link up play. He’s got the speed to play off the last defender, the strength to hold the ball up, and the skill to link up play or take on a man. He’s a right footed player with a powerful shot, and is generally composed when through on goal.

Unlike some of Liverpool’s recent attacking targets, he’s not a player who can play across all three of the forward positions, though you wouldn’t put it past Brendan Rodgers bringing him on in a wide position if he were to join Liverpool.

It was no surprise that he was Mano Menezes’s choice of striker for Brazil, and he utilised Damião in a similar role to the one carried out by Fernando Llorente in Marcelo Bielsa’s much admired 2011/12 Athletic Bilbao side. It’s rare to find a striker with the build of a target man, but the skill of a more creative player, and Damião’s experiences playing in midfield as a youth player must surely help him in this respect.

Goal scoring and stats

Damião has only played in six of his side’s matches so far this season, as he was injured at the start of the 2013 campaign, but since coming back into the side he’s scored two goals and provided two assists.

Last season, he scored seven in 19, as his season was interrupted by Brazil call-ups, and specifically the Olympic games, but as mentioned earlier, it was the 2011 season playing alongside Oscar where he really announced himself.

In the 2011 season, he played 28 games, scoring 14 goals and bagging 6 assists, and during this year he also made his debut for Brazil at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium against Scotland. He also scored his first international goal on English soil, as his powerful right foot effort gave Brazil a 1-0 win against Ghana at Fulham’s Craven Cottage.

In the 2012 Olympics, he finished the tournament as top scorer with an impressive return of six goals in five games.

A future at Liverpool?

Leandro is very much a center forward, down the middle, leading the line. As Liverpool already have Daniel Sturridge, Iago Aspas, Fabio Borini, and Luis Suarez who can all play that position, Damião would be an interesting signing in terms of the balance of the side.

He’d definitely be looking to move to Europe should the right opportunity come along, but he’d want some guarantees of first team football in the build up to the 2014 World Cup, and it’s questionable as to whether Liverpool could offer this. There isn’t even the chance for much squad rotation as Liverpool aren’t taking part in European competition this season.

He’d be a great signing for Liverpool, but it’s questionable as to whether he’d be the right signing at this point in time. Unless there were plans to move Sturridge into a wide position, which would be an unpopular decision with the Liverpool fans and Sturridge himself, then it seems a waste to spend a large amount of money on another center forward when there are other areas of the team crying out to be improved.

Leandro Damião would be an ideal signing if Liverpool were in the Champions League and required three or four top class strikers on rotation in the squad, so he’s maybe an option for next season, or the season after, or the season after, or the season after…