29 Oct 2014

Urgent Deal: BR wants 'incredible' €8m star who 'dreams' of LFC transfer. Sign ASAP?

Over the summer, long-time Liverpool target Guillermo Ochoa delivered a goalkeeping masterclass during the World Cup, and after the tournament, Malaga snapped him up on a three-year deal. The 'extraordinary' Mexican is yet to make an appearance for the La Liga club, though, and reports in Italy this week suggest that the Reds are about to reignite interest in the talented stopper..

Liverpool were last linked with Ochoa in July, and according to Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato, Brendan Rodgers sees the Mexican 'keeper as an alternative to Victor Valdes, and is planning to make an offer in January.

€8m-rated Ochoa is clearly an excellent' keeper, which probably explains why Liverpool have tracked him for the last two years. The story so far:

JAN 2013: Liverpool made a €6m bid for Ochoa, and in an interview at the time, the 27-year old stopper told Reporters: "My agent had contact with Liverpool, and I hope this summer there will be some offers. There is no doubt, though, that this one of the dreams I've have had since I came to Europe".

MAR 2013: Ochoa told Mediotiempo: "There is interest from Liverpool, but I have to let things happen. I feel very good, in the professional and sporting way. Physically, I am also very well"

APR 2014: Eurosport claimed that the Reds are still monitoring Ochoa, with a view to signing him this summer.

APR 2014: When asked about Liverpool's interest, Ochoa told Todomercadoweb.es: "I have several offers from different countries, and I am willing to listen to all the offers. My agent is dealing with everything and I do not exclude a future in Italy or England."

When asked recently about Ochoa's permanent bench-status, Malaga’s general director Vicente Casado suggested that the club may consider selling Ochoa during the January transfer window. He told Mediotiempo:

“We still think Guillermo will fight (for his place) in every training session and then we’ll see in December. Memo has incredible ability, but Kameni does too. The thing is that we have two great goalkeepers.”

Ochoa remains confident, however, that his chance will come. He told reporters recently:

"I am confident in myself and I will play soon. I'm not just here to play in the Cups,"

Ochoa - voted Ajaccio's Player of the Season for 2012-13 - has a flamboyant public persona, but according to the people that work with him, the Mexican's humility is what makes him popular in the dressing room. In April, Ajaccio defender Arnaud Maire explained his appeal:

"He [Ochoa] is quite a simple person and he's actually quite subdued, strangely enough. I think he's someone who shines through his performances rather than his role off the pitch"

The club's goalkeeping coach Thierry Debès added:

"He's well liked because he is extremely humble. He's a superstar in his country, but when he arrived he just kept his head down and worked hard."

If there's a genuine chance of signing Ochoa, then surely it's a no-brainer?

* The Reds' prior interest is factual (why would Ochoa publicly lie?)
* Liverpool tried to sign him in the past.
* Ochoa is a free-agent, and LFC can sign him on a free transfer.
* He dreams of playing for LFC, so it's basically a done deal if LFC pursue it.

Despite being linked with some big clubs over the last few years, Europe's big guns don't ever seem to follow through with their interest, which is strange considering Ochoa has proven his talent time and time again.

Liverpool urgently need a quality goalkeeper to challenge and/or replace Mignolet. Worth a bid to test Malaga's resolve?

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8 comments:

  1. Would it work for him? If he's not getting game time at Malaga he might not think his chances any better at Liverpool.

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  2. There must be some reason he's benched at Malaga. Like you say, he's proven his quality both for club and country. Why would he sit behind a keeper that isn't even Cameroon's #1?

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  3. is he still a free agent Jamie? if so I will drive him to Anfield myself

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  4. We need to give Mignolet a chance to improve along with the back four. If we do bring in a new keeper then he needs to be a world-class keeper like Cech or Weidenfeller. Ochoa is undoubtedly good but he is on a similar level with Mignolet. We need someone much better than Mignolet, or have I been reading all the comments wrong recently.

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  5. Another player that could have been captured in the summer. But like most other players scouted, they just slip by and end up at rival teams.

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  6. I like Mignolet but Ochoa is simply better. Would be madness to not explore the possibility of signing him.

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  7. Still people want him at Anfield, madness.

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  8. Ochoa is a great shot stopper, but if you look at his heat maps for positioning you'll realize that like Mignolet he enjoys staying on his line. I'm not sure that's the answer to the "commanding defensive presence" we need in the team.


    Not taking anything away from him, but it may not be the right match.

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