3 Dec 2014

Transfer Surprise: Liverpool in talks to sign 'special' £16m World Cup striker

Over the last few weeks, Rickie Lambert has stepped up to the plate and contributed a couple of goals to the Liverpool cause, but the Reds still need reinforcements up-front, and new reports suggest the Brendan Rodgers is set to approach a surprise transfer target.

According to reports in Spain today:

* Liverpool are set to 'begin talks' with Arsenal forward Joel Campbell.

* Rodgers is interested in taking £16m-rated Campbell on loan for the rest of the season.

* BR is allegedly a 'huge admirer' of Campbell, and wants to make him the first signing of the January transfer window.

Liverpool need a proven goalscorer in January, not another young, untested player with potential to be a future star, and if Campbell really is BR's top-target for the next window, then it seriously calls into question (yet again) his judgement in the transfer market.

Based on Rodgers' transfer history at Anfield, Campbell is just the type of player I'd expect him to pursue, but the Costa Rican can't even get a game for Arsenal, so why is he a potential solution for Liverpool?

Overall, Campbell - hailed by Thierry Henry as a 'great player - made only six senior appearances for the Gunners, and scored zero goals, so he's clearly not the answer to LFC's goalscoring problems.

Campbell undoubtedly has potential, and in a recent interview, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger outlined the 'special' 22-year old's main qualities. He told reporters:

"Campbell has done very well. I like the way he plays, he's good on the ball, creative and collectively as well he has a good balance between individual skill and collective attitude - that's not easy to find"

Arsenal are one of Liverpool's main rivals for a place in the top four, so it seems unlikely that Wenger will willingly allow one of his supposed star young players to enhance LFC's squad. Plus, unless there's a concrete option-to-buy clause in the contract, then a loan spell is ultimately pointless.

That said, maybe Rodgers sees Campbell as a short-term option to cover the spot he had earmarked for Divock Origi. Liverpool wanted to bring the Belgian back in January, but that's not an option, so perhaps BR sees Campbell as cover until the summer?

Is Rodgers right to pursue Campbell?



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18 comments:

  1. Nothing wrong Joel Campbell, but Jaimie is right: we need a proven, more experienced goal-scorer who will walk onto the pitch assuming that he will score.


    Only if both Lambert and Borini leave should we consider a guy like Campbell as one of the replacements (although I'd prefer the up-and-coming striker to be Neymar).

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  2. I've always wondered why Liverpool don't try to sign Stefan Kiessling. That guy's finishing is as deadly as they come. He's got everything a top number 9 needs and he's been doing the business for years. Yay, nay?

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  3. He did well at the world cup but who has heard of him since? We still need to replace Suarez so whoever comes in, should have pedigree. How about Torres?

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  4. another day, another non-impactful, mediocre, unproven guy in the rumor mill. Can the front office and BR really be out of touch from what is really needed. I just can't believe they would be this stupid. We have plenty of unproven and over-priced guys on the team or out on loan. We need impact players at DM, strikers (2) and GK. How the hell hard is this???
    Tonight's game proved that using Gerrard like Giggs will make him better when he is no the pitch and allow better ball flow when he isn't........

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  5. We should go for Huntelaar. His contract is running out and he is proven in a physical league (the Bundesliga), in Europe and internationally. He may not be quick, but his movement is tremendous. An upgrade on Lambert. Now that he's got his 100th goal for Schalke (in about 150 games) he might feel it's the time to move on. We should capitalise.

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  6. Get two real, effective strikers and send Borini and Balotelli packing. Sign Alex Song if possible and get a GK of quality to compete with Migs.

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  7. Yeah fully agreed. Such a classy player. He basically guarantees goals and has enough presence to put defenders on the back foot. With his contract running out he probably wouldn't cost the earth, either. We should definitely capitalise.

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  8. Torres to replace Suarez your mad Torres first 18 months at liverpool were electric since then he's been horrific a waste of space. Absolute ludicrous comment and he's a judus

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  9. Makes sense if we buy him
    he could be like Sturridge
    he has the most important assets for a modern day forward pace,skill and can go buy a player also a bit of strength
    makes sense .

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  10. He could be the new Luis Suarez while his situation reminds me of Sturridge and Coutinho
    But we have to buy Bony as well IMO watched him yesterday he was superb

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  11. Yeah yeah I know all that but maybe he turned bad at Chelsea because of Chelsea? Although he's only scored 1 in 9 so far at Milan so it's not like he's impressing much there. All that said, him and Gerrard worked really well.

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  12. Trust me, they'll end up paying well over the odds for that WBA kid and most people on here will be elated because they still think English players are up there with the best in the world.

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  13. 8 in 32 at Olympiakos by the way

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  14. Lambert is doing exactly the job he is required to do though. The problem is that we are now counting on him for the goals when he was always going to be a plan B player. Obviously Rodgers didn't expect his plans A to get injured (which makes perfect sense with Sturridge.....) and be a lunatic whose more focussed on his hair than on his job (which makes perfect sense with Heskeytelli...). How I wished we had Porto's scouting team. Herrera, Quintero, Martinez, Danilo. Man for man top top players signed for a pittance.

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  15. I can't believe Arsene Wenger has SanNoGoals higher in the pecking order at Arsenal.
    Joel Campbell wouldn't be anywhere near my first choice, but he could be a decent cheap, short term fix.
    I can't see FSG spending big so this deal or something similar is probably likely to happen.

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