10 Dec 2014

'El Mono' to LFC? BR desperate to sign Uruguay legend to replace £10m LFC star

Liverpool continue to be linked with a January move for Benfica defender Maxi Pereira, who is currently stalling on signing a new deal with the Portuguese giants.

In November, Portuguese newspaper A Bola claimed that Liverpool are 'monitoring' 30-year old Pereira, and according to The Mirror today:

* Brendan Rodgers is desperate to replace Glen Johnson.

* Benfica want 'big money' for Pereira, who is rated in the €9m range.

* Besiktas and Trabzonspur are also interested.

Liverpool's alleged pursuit of Pereira was recently front page news in Portugal:

 photo ScreenShot2014-11-17at150400_zps72f42696.png

Some info about Pereira:

* 302 appearances for Benfica (54 goals/assists)
* Rarely injured, and averages 38 apps per season.
* 95 apps for the Uruguay national team.
* Winner of 8 major trophies with Benfica.
* 2011: Helped Uruguay win the Copa America.
* Rather dubiously nicknamed 'El Mono' (The Monkey)

Pereira - who Jorge Jesus describes as one of Benfica's most 'important' players - is in the same position as £10m-rated Glen Johnson: his current contract expires next summer, which means he can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club during the January transfer window.

Plus, like Javier Manquillo at Liverpool, Benfica appear to have already signed Pereira's long-term replacement, with 23-year old Luis Felipe arriving at the club over the summer. The Uruguayan's place is not immediately under threat, though, as Benfica sent Felipe on loan for the season just one month after he signed for the club (!)

Pereira has incredible experience, but I don't see the logic in swapping-out one 30-year old for another. Granted, there is an obvious saving to be made on wages, but when it comes to the future, Pereira - like Johnson - is not a long-term solution.

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19 comments:

  1. No more money for B R - that is 100 per cent certain - his fate is sealed

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  2. lets all be really positive and look forward to a merseyside derby in the Europa league semi final!!!!

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  3. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:51 am, December 10, 2014

    Markovic looked very good when he came on
    Lallana and Can always impress when playing and Moreno is our best option at left back


    play them all




    .....................................................Sterling
    Lallana..........................................Coutinho/Henderson............Markovic
    ...................................................Can..............Gerrard
    Moreno........................................Lovren........Skrtel/Toure.......Manquillo
    ............................................................Mignolet




    let the new signings play

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  4. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:54 am, December 10, 2014

    We badly need a new striker
    but no Berahino or Sakho they have to prove they are not one season wonders like Carroll, Benteke,Michu and Cisse all good until figured out




    Bony in my opinion is the best option
    proved it in Everdise
    proved it in pl last season and this season
    proved in world cup

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  5. Glad to miss the match last night. 5 points from 6 games and only one lucky win in the group stages of ECL, shameful. Never seen a transformation like this one, from almost winning title last season to being a joke this season.

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  6. Is that really the newspaper's name? We seem to be linked with anyone with legs and 30 yr old legs are not what we need- pity tho

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  7. 100% agree with that




    i think Markovic had a break through last night from good to great from now on for him!

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  8. Can't disagree about Henderson. He's not played well this season and seems to have crept back into his shell. Between he and Can, Henderson appears to lack assertiveness on the ball. Even Allen is more positive and confident in possession, sometimes. Still admire his commitment, of course.

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  9. Haha *rushes Whelan to the burn unit*

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  10. I completely agree with the sentiment of letting the new signings play. Do any supporters understand what our first team is, with everybody available ? Surely the goal should be at least 7 or 8 stable first choices ?
    The whole team and surely the defence can only benefit from some stability in selection. Picking Enrique only to substitute him for the guy who should have been starting was embarassing. Markovic has at last started to show some appetite and promise. Exactly what does Can have to do to get a game ?
    Mignolet
    Flanagan, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno
    Can
    Henderson, Lallana
    Gerrard
    Sturridge, Sterling
    Of that team, injuries permitting they should all be regulars with Gerrards game time managed, perhaps by playing Sterling there and putting Markovic up front with Sturridge.
    For the time being Manquillo for Flanagan, Toure for Sakho and Lambert for Sturridge.
    An ideal January would be Peter Cech and Jackson Martinez or Wilfried Bony in Liverpool strips with Balotelli in the colours of whoever will have him.
    I wonder if it will ever be revealed whose decision it was to buy Balotelli.

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  11. The likes of J Allen(24), J Henderson(24) and L Leiva(27) are three average centre midfielders.


    L Leiva(27) is the best defensive midfielder at club but his lack of energy, mobility, pace and speed is easily exposed against the best sides with class creativity pace and speed in their attack. L Leiva(27) and S Gerrard(34) struggle playing the DM role in the premiership and against the best/top sides.


    J Allen and J Henderson(both 24) lack class, creativity and goals from centre of park. And i would have more money on Skrtel(30) and G Johnson(30) scoring a goal than J Allen(24) and J Henderson(24).


    And for B Rodgers to have spent £53M on the attacking trio of A Lallana(26), P Coutinho(22) and L Markovic(20) and to leave them on the bench when we needed a win was abyzmal, comical and shocking management skills. We showed Basel too much respect and they punished us

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  12. E Can(20) has played better than J Allen(24) and J Henderson(24) this season since he came back from Injury. But B Rodgers doesn't give him a chance.


    A Lallana(26) gets up to full fitness and starts getting goals and playing well then he is benched.


    How can you keep E Can(20), A Lallana(26), P Coutinho(22) on the bench when we needed win and goals.


    Yet he played J Allen(24), J Henderson(24) and R Lambert(32) which backfired horribly wrong.

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  13. Well, he is better than Johnson and I think we can safely say Flanagan nor Manquillo haven't showed this season that they're ready or reliable enough to be a regular starter so adding seniority makes sense. But who knows who Frank de Boer will sign? We'll see when he gets here.

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  14. GJ is slow of foot, vision and decision-making, predictable in his ball handling...which leads to an inordinate amount of easy dispossessions, and forgets he's primarily a defender and doesn't get back fast enough to help the defense.
    That being said...our immediate need is a striker with speed, quickness, a killer instinct, arrogantly confident in his own creative skill and goal scoring capability...the anti-Lambert. He doesn't have to be famous either.
    But we are currently a team that has zero striking power with a boat load of talented MFs and wingers that, for whatever reason, don't want to be goal scorers. I can't remember seeing a group of guys so anxious to NOT shoot the ball or get into a position to make a shot off a quick pass. Everybody is waiting for somebody else to do something.
    You want to shore up our defense? Get a reputation for attacking and scoring...that will do it.

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  15. I like that guy...he appears to have the qualities we need...and Swansea are in no better position than we are.

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  16. Can't imagine why - Man U 2 v LFC 1

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  17. 2005 wasn't boring ole'

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