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This is the time of year that is a bane and a boon for all football fans. The transfer window is open and every club will be trying to make their squad better for a push next season. Some big names come in and some go out, one such name which could be heading to the exit door is Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich leading the chase. The controversial but gifted footballer has come out and made it clear he would be listening to offers from outside England, blaming the media for constantly portraying him as a villain. Some of it has been his own doing but let’s not dwell on that, Liverpool of course have come out and said that Suarez is not for sale but there are no guarantees in life and the same can be said about football.
Losing your best player isn’t the most attractive proposition for any club but fans know that players come and go and Suarez’s sale would leave a massive void in the team. He has been the go to guy for Liverpool this season. Losing a player with an ability like his would put a massive dent for a club rebuilding from the past American regime and trying to enter the Champions League. Liverpool have missed out on Champions League football for the past 3 seasons and won’t be in any European competition this season also after they missed out on the Europa League place.
There could still be light at the end of the tunnel for Liverpool as their purchase of Daniel Sturridge seems to have clicked. The forward who was brought in from Chelsea in the January transfer window scored 11 goals in 16 games and provided 5 assists for the Reds. Suarez and Sturridge seemed to have created a partnership which was evident during the home game versus Chelsea. Suarez crossed for Sturridge to score the Red’s opener and then Sturridge turned provider for Suarez to score what could be his last ever goal for Liverpool (Suarez was banned for 10 games after biting Ivanovic in the same game).
Most of Sturridge’s goals however have come when he was not partnered by Suarez, suggesting that he can lead the line for Liverpool. He scored his first hat-trick against Fulham and scored a brace against Newcastle as well. In both the games Suarez was missing. We must also not forget there has been an inflow of creativity from the midfield of Liverpool. Gerrard has been put in a much deeper role as compared to previous seasons, so the mantle has been taken up by the Brazilian Coutinho who has wowed the Anfield faithful with his passing and vision. With Suarez’s absence from the starting line up for at least 4 games from the next season, Liverpool will be more dependent on the pair to score goals.
Lets be clear, Suarez is not easy to replace, a player of his quality and ability is hard to get. Sturridge would not be a direct replacement for Suarez , he would rather be a proper finisher in the box who would put away the chances that he gets. Liverpool need to strengthen their creative department as that and their defense are the places where they sorely need rebuilding.
They won’t have European football next season and with the likes of Monaco, PSG, Madrid and Manchester City willing to throw big bucks for players (read Falcao), it is going to be a tough summer to get new recruits to Anfield. Deal for Iago Aspas, the Celta Vigo will be completed soon and a fit again Fabio Borini would be raring to go next season and provide some impetus up front. Kolo Toure has already signed a deal to join the club from July (free transfer from City) and there are talks of signing the Greek defender Papadopoulos from Schalke and Tiago Llori, the Portuguese central defender from Sporting Lisbon. Both are young and would fit into the FSG policy of signing young players and then developing them.
Liverpool have also been linked with the Ukranian League’s player of the year, Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk. The price tag might be hard to digest for some but he does seem to be a talent, scoring 25 goals in the league for Shakhtar last season. There were a few rumors about Christian Eriksen being a realistic target for Liverpool but not much has developed so far. The team would certainly be looking to upgrade on their wingers as well, Downing could be one of the who makes way. Downing did have a decent 2nd half to the season but Rodgers might need to increase funds to buy more players. Assaidi, Skrtel and Shelvey could also be heading for the exit door to free up more funds. Andy Carroll, the forgotten 35 million pound striker, is close to making a 15 million pound switch to West Ham United.
A few crazy rumors doing the rounds is that Liverpool are tracking the status of Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko. Tevez has only 1 year left in his deal and would be available on the cheap while Dzeko could also be on his way out. It would however be hard to sign the strikers since there is no European football to offer form Liverpool’s side. Liverpool and Spurs also are chasing Belgian winger Nacer Chadli of FC Twente, who has played 9 times for the national team. Simon Mignolet is also a target for Liverpool, even though Pepe Reina has stated he would stay at the club for the next season. The Reds seem bent on increasing their keeping options, as the Hungarian Peter Gulacsi left the club, probably trying to give Reina competition and have a decent cover for the Spanish star as well.
Whatever happens, Liverpool would want to close all their transfer dealings as early as possible, they are on the right track by signing a couple of players well before any transfer ramblings begin. Liverpool would not want another Fernando Torres saga with Suarez. They would get a sizable sum for the Uruguayan, talks of it being between 45-50 million pounds and would invest the same into making the squad stronger rather than splurge it on one big name. This could be a defining summer for Liverpool but isn’t the same thing said every summer?.
