Reds have options from West Ham to West Bromwich and Sicily
to Swansea and are ready to sell to buy in a bid to get their season on
track, but it isn't that simple...
With hope in your heart: It won't be easy for Liverpool to get (l-r) Higuain, Martinez, Bony or Dybala
The sight of Martin Skrtel leading the Liverpool forward line in the
final, frantic minutes against Basel as their Champions League hopes
disintegrated, offered the clearest hint about their winter spending
plans.
No, the Reds
are not planning a tactical time-shift and a return to the route one of
previous Anfield regimes, with a primeval centre-forward target-man.
Rather, it was their lack of options that was most revealing.
When Rickie Lambert was hauled off at half-time in Tuesday's 1-1 draw, the obvious alternative would have been the pace and energy – and goal-scoring instinct – of Fabio Borini.
Except the Italian wasn’t even on the bench.
Why was that, when he was the only other fit, out-and-out senior striker at the club?
The
answer of course, is that Liverpool are desperately trying to usher him
out of the door in the January transfer window, and didn’t want to give
him any hope he will get game-time with them.
That is why – even
with injuries to Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli creating a
striking crisis - Borini hasn’t even made the bench for the last three
matches, and has not had a hint of a start since his impressive
performance in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid suggested he could yet
be a viable option up front. Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers were both ready
to pay £13million for Borini in the summer, and Black Cats boss Gus
Poyet said at the weekend that he would still desperately love to sign
last season's loan star permanently in January - hinting he would be
prepared to pay handsomely to get him.
If Liverpool could get £15m
for Borini and additional funds from the sale of midfielder Suso -
along, perhaps, with deals for Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas and Oussama
Assaidi, who are all currently out on loan – they will have a fighting
fund to move for the sort of striker the club so desperately needs.
John Powell
Italian lesson: Liverpool are trying to convince Borini he needs to move on
They will certainly try to find one, and will be
prepared to pay £20m-plus to get another option up front in the light of
the failure of Balotelli to provide any sort of consistent focal point
for the team.
The problem for the Reds though, is there are so few options out there.
They
have made enquiries about Porto’s Colombia international Jackson
Martinez, but a near-£30m price tag and the fact he will turn 29 next
year are prohibitive.
Saido Berahino would be an option, but West
Brom will not consider selling when they are deep in trouble at the
bottom of the table. Diafra Sakho is not a realistic target either, as
his West Ham side continue to pursue a European place.
Gonzalo
Higuain is said to be unsettled at Napoli, but Liverpool’s current form
would make recruiting a striker of his standing a real problem, while
Edinson Cavani is also an unlikely pick.
Wilfried Bony of Swansea
is more likely, but his valuation - for someone likely to be a reserve
next season - would make a deal difficult.
The Reds have watched
Lyon’s France international Alexandre Lacazette, but Argentine striker
Paulo Dybala is a more likely option and he could be available from
Palermo in Italy for around £12m.
Michael Regan - The FA
Red Lion? It's hard to see West Brom selling England rookie Berahino next month
Dybala's style
– not dissimilar to former Reds goal machine Luis Suarez, if not in the
same class – would be an attractive proposition to a club that has so
badly missed an industrious, tricky talent around the box.
Liverpool
will continue to pore over their scouting reports as the winter window
looms, but perhaps the most significant notes will be on a player who is
already theirs, but won’t arrive at Melwood until June.
Divock
Origi was signed from Lille last summer for £10m, but only on condition
he was loaned back to the French club for an entire season.
Liverpool
would hope to bring that arrival date forward and haven’t given up all
hope of that prospect, but Lille continue to resist parting with the
Belgium international early, even with the promise of an additional fee.
In
the meantime, Brendan Rodgers must decide whether to continue to leave
Borini out in the cold, even if it impacts on short-term results.
If
he does continue to marginalise the Itakian, then he will have to try
to shake up his team to stir them from their current deep malaise. He
could offer chances to new boys such as Lazar Markovic and Emre Can -
along with youngsters such as Jerome Sinclair and Sheyi Ojo.
Liverpool fans! Which striker would you prefer to arrive in January?
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