5 May 2012

What a waste! £17m LFC striker target snubs Anfield for...China. Mercenary?

Over the last few months, South American striker Lucas Barrios has made it clear that he's unhappy at Borussia Dortmund, and now it seems he's had enough. Barrios has many suitors across Europe - including Liverpool - but instead of testing himself in a top European league, the Paraguayan has decided to follow the money all the way to China.

£17.5m-rated Barrios recently admitted that his role as perennial substitute for Dortmund was making him 'unhappy', and in a recent interview with SportBild, he made his frustration clear in a public 'play me or I will leave' threat:

"I do not want to sit on the bench for a second season. That is not what being a professional footballer is about. I'm unhappy...and it is difficult for me to accept this after such a successful season."

Liverpool have been linked with Barrios many times in the past, but Anfield is seemingly no match for the attraction of Guangzhou Evergrande, the Chinese club he has now agreed to join. A statement on Dortmund's official website confirmed the move;

"Striker Lucas Barrios will leave Borussia Dortmund after the end of the season and join Guangzhou Evergrande. In China. He will sign a four-year contract. Lucas Barrios won two Bundesliga titles with us and in 82 league games scored 39 goals, so that is why we met his wish to change clubs and play first-team football".

I can understand the need to play first team football but why go all the way to China to achieve it? IMO, it's not really the career move of someone motivated by testing themselves at the highest level.

Having said that, as a life experience, I'm sure playing in China will be fantastic, but it's a shame that European football will be deprived of such a promising player.



Have Liverpool missed out here, or dodged a bullet?

Jaimie Kanwar


20 comments:

  1. To me he is leaving the top team in Germany to pursue what in China money good thing Liverpool never got him a pure mercenary.

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  2. don't want a striker that is greedy 4 money like that absolute clown these type of transfers never work out just look at robinho

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  3. maybe he had a big desire to help imrove the chinese league, if hes willing to go, maybe more players will consder it aswell.  the money is in china to have a huge league, this guy is jus smart enough to get there early.  good look lucas, hopes it works out well.

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  4. Whether it's right or wrong for footballing reasons, it's his choice. Who are we to judge?

    Anyway, if he really is top-draw material, then he should be able to command top wages in another league. So may be he has other reasons for moving to China.

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  5. I don't believe Lucas Barrios could be a player at Liverpool level. China is a good place for him.

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  6. Who says Liverpool were even interested in him, he can't 'snub' a team that's not interested in him.

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  7. Liverpool were not even interested him and It's his choice who are you to call him a mercenary?? 

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  8. Thats exactly the mentality that is meaning that we will not win the league for another 22 years !!
    Barrios is exactly the player we should be buying

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  9. it's his choice. if i was lucky enough to have the talent to play professional football, i'd only want to play in england, spain, italy or germany. id want to play in the best league and european competitions. He obviously lacks ambition to go toy China so early in his career. I can understand a player over 30 going, but not a younger talented player....

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  10. nah dont need him at all 39 goals in 82 bundleslige that'd prob turn down to 20 in 82 premiership games 10 a season no ta!

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  11. Lucas Barrios?
    Sounds like we'd have been getting 2 players in one there......

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  12. Agreed. I'd have talent than grafters. I'd prefer a team of silvas to a team of carraghers. With talent you win games which brings out the desire.

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  13. Theycallmemrburt8:05 am, May 06, 2012

    Yeah I'm not keen on the whole mercenary thing myself.  If I work in aldi get a chance to work in tesco but decide Asda pays more I'm going to Asda.  Some players love football/ trophies some players see football as a job.  Who are we to judge?

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  14. dodged a bullet if he's not good enough for dortmund why on earth do we want him?

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  15. @Nnicolsenior : Dortmund has a number of excellent players at Barrios' position. As they are rotating and Barrios wants continuously playing time he decided for the move.
    But @nige : You wrote what I'm exactly thinking.

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  16. What you fellas fail to see is they get paid big money and one aspect of that money is facing up to public scrutiny.
    What the public expect from a sportsman is to try to compete at the highest level.
    Who are we to judge haha we are the reason people like him get paid so much.
     

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  17. What smart player would go to Liverpool these days?

    He's still young and hes moving to a league on the rise.

    Best of luck to him

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  18. Pretty much every professional player is out to serve their own personal interests. It just so happens that LFC are in a better position than most clubs, even with this disaster of a season.

    Fans that love to bleat on about 'mercenaries' are so flipping naive and annoying! Do you reeally think that every current player actually loves Liverpool and wouldn't do one elsewhere if a better opportunity arose, in much the same way as they all did one on their former clubs to join Liverpool in the first place??

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  19. yeah china is REALLY a better oppurtunity then the premier league there for the move was only about money no one is denying that players are greedy and wont leave if better oppurtunitys come upon the signing of suarez he stated that he would love to play 4 barca one day but looking at this guy he opted for china when he could have played for a much better european team thats money not oppurunity open your eyes read twice if you dont understand the first time FOOL

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