24 Feb 2015

Yes Please: Boss confirms 'miracle' £29m goal-machine wanted by Liverpool 'will leave' if the price is right

The Jackson Martinez rumours refuse to die! Liverpool continue to be linked with a move for the prolific Colombian striker, and Porto have now confirmed that Martinez is for sale.

Speaking to reporters this week, Porto President Pinto da Costa confirmed:

"Jackson almost left last summer but we agreed he'd stay one more year. If somebody pays his value he will leave."

Liverpool's interest in £29m-rated Martinez is long established. Most recently:

NOV 2014: Liverpool's pursuit of Martinez made the front page of leading Portuguese newspaper Jornal Record, and the Daily Mail reported: "Liverpool do not wish to buy their way out of trouble but will continue to evaluate potential new strikers. Porto's Jackson Martinez has been offered to them [LFC]"

DEC 2014: Peppino Terri, an agent registered with Italy's FA, claimed: "Liverpool are in for Jackson. AC Milan? That's unlikely".

FEB 2015: ESPN reported: "Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham are interested in acquiring his [Martinez's] services".

Martinez has also confirmed that he wants to leave. Earlier this month, he told reporters:

"I'm ready to make the leap in the next window. I have my head focused only on the work I'm doing at Porto at the moment and when the transfer window reopens, we shall see what will happen."

Since arriving at the Estádio do Dragão, Martinez - described by Porto boss Julen Lopetegui as a 'miracle' striker - has racked up some formidable creative stats:

* 86 goals/11 assist in 123 appearances.
* Once scored in 10 successive games for Porto.
* At one point, scored 18 goals in 17 games.
* Broke Falcao's record by scoring 11 goals in 12 matches for Porto.

97 goals/assists in 123 games? That is a superb creative return for Porto, and it'll be a major coup if Liverpool are able to seal the deal. Martinez will represent formidable competition for Daniel Sturridge, and the Colombian clearly has the talent and goalscoring ability to keep the England man on his toes.

Sturridge is inarguably Liverpool's main-man, but the Reds should proceed as if he doesn't exist. He is an amazing striker, but he cannot be relied upon, and it's impossible to build a team around a striker who is always injured.

Martinez, on the other hand, has never been injured, which is quite amazing for a 28-year old player. Clearly, he's cut from the same cloth as Luis Suarez, and that robustness is exactly what Liverpool need up-front.



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42 comments:

  1. Never been injured you say? Queue injury on first day of training after signing for Liverpool and out for six months.

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  2. Martinez, Lacazette, that kid at Inter, Origi, Sturridge, Balotelli, Lambert, the Spanish kid at Juve....I get the feeling Rodgers is working on a shock and awe system for next year. 0-2-8

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  3. I think this ship has sailed with Martinez to be honest.

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  4. Martinez has said that he would not move to Liverpool ,so might as well move on to the next sticker !

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  5. Is their one stricker in the whole wide world that Liverpool has not put an offer in for ?

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  6. totally overated i've been watching the odd Porto match this season, i think I'd get 20+ goals a season playing against some of those teams.

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  7. No deal here for me, would much rather see us push for Lacazette than this guy. The Portuguese league is pretty weak at the moment (bar the usual big 3) and if I remember correctly he has hardly nailed down a spot in the Colombian first XI which says it all really when you consider his goalscoring record. Doesn't offer much off the ball either so I would steer clear of this one.

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  8. Yeah I found it interesting that he wasn't starting for Columbia at the World Cup whilst Falcao wasn't even there.

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  9. Exactly my thoughts, he was mainly used as an impact sub for the last 15/20 minutes. Weird considering without Falcao he was their biggest name.

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  10. Memphis Depay! Danny Ings! Gabriel Barbosa!

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  11. Don't see any room for Depay in our squad. Also Barbosa, while a fine pirate I'm not sure about his footballing ability

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  12. You forgot Jack Sparrow...

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  13. I'm pretty sure Messi..

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  14. Depay would be perfect for us wouldn't he? He could comfortably play in any of our front 4 or 5 (or 6 or 8 or whatever it is) positions, usually plays in 3 positions every game, he's got that fight and wiry strength on the turn that Rodgers likes, has a calm and mature demeanor... we'd find room I reckon!

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  15. Yes please, lacazete also.........

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  16. Captain Jack Sparrow ,
    Stricker ,penalty taker and captain plus give him Sterlings wages

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  17. Depay would be a good addition but like Jock I just can't see where we would have room for him at the moment. The positions he plays are probably our best stocked positions and think we have more pressing issues, a striker, a DM, a CB and a GK.

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  18. Nah, more wingers. Always need more wingers. A mixture of nippy wingers and cultured defenders. That's all you need really.

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  19. Hmmmm don't really agree with that...to be a truly top team the key area is still the middle of the pitch. You can get by with just pacey wingers and cultured defenders if you are happy to settle for a top 4 push but you need 11 quality players to beat the best. Perhaps is we were to sell Borini and Lambert in the summer, bring in one new striker, say Lacazette, there might be room for him.

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  20. So enjoying all these youngsters, now (and surely Spures and Chelsea are also showing this is the way to go?) that I don't even want to know when I see these "targets" with an age over 23 or 24!

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  21. Yes! Squeeze Borini, Lambert, Balotelli, out. Ooze Lacazette, Depay, and Ings in. They could play as strikers or wing backs or wingers or attacking midfielders or whatever, no problem. Then who are the most cultured defenders who might be available? Aymeric Laporte? Toby Alderweireld? Various Germans? Get a couple of them, whoever they are. All problems sorted.

    Goalkeepers are overrated.

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  22. My ideal sales list this summer would be:-
    Borini
    Lambert
    Balotelli
    Allen
    Toure
    add to that Gerrard and Johnson are on their way


    I would then like to see us sign:-
    2 Strikers (Lacazette and Ings would do me fine)
    GK not too sure who but anyone who is a significant upgrade on Jones
    CM maybe Sissoko from Newcastle but heard some silly fees banded about
    DM Nainggolan
    CB/RB Alderweireld is a good shout
    Then if we have anything left in the pot a Depay or someone similar

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  23. Phew! Martinez to Liverpool! Ever come in half way through a conversation and got the wrong end of the stick...I'm still sweating on that one!

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  24. Too old .
    Luiz Adriano on a free will be better if we want to sign old players

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  25. Haha, the summer starts here ;)

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  26. Luiz Adriano and Will Hughes will be ideal.

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  27. Ha I asked for it didn't I...forgot players ages tho ;)

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  28. Where's he been though? Haven't seen him in a while.

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  29. When did he say that?

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  30. This move will only happen if Porto will sell him for cheap. There has never been a cheaper football team than Liverpool. The club has lost a lot of marquee talent in Suarez, Agger and now Gerrard. The new signings are young and have a lot of potential but are far from the finished article. Don't get me wrong the young core of the Liverpool team will only continue to improve under Rodgers but that is long term. They are what you can call the long term solution but not the immediate solution.


    This immediate solution would be in my opinion where Mr Jackson Martinez steps in. Let's face it Brendan Rodgers has failed to replace the goals Luis Suarez took with him when he left. Balotelli is the exact opposite of Luis Suarez as a player. They are not even in the same stratosphere. Jackson Martinez is the type of marquee talent Liverpool has been dying for.


    Martinez has a great footballing IQ and would enjoy a more potent partnership with Sturridge than Balotelli. Martinez has proven time and time again that he can score big goals in big games. If Liverpool was not such a miserable penny pinching entity we would waste no time and put the money down to secure his services as soon as possible.


    He might not have many fancy haircuts like Balotelli but he knows how to find the back of the net on a regular basis. With Jackson Martinez you get more bang for your buck. Let's get him Rodgers.

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  31. Martinez is one of those if only players. We could have got him for the cheap when he was obscure but now Porto will negotiate like the hounds they are known as and we will get him for a crazy price. The ship has sailed and we should move on.

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  32. Porto selling for cheap.... Nice one..

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  33. I'm not overly convinced by Martinez. His stats are really good but I'm not sure he's the answer. I don't think he's dynamic enough and I feel he may suffer from the same problems Balotelli does

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  34. Players have careers longer than 10 years

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  35. McCartney & Lennon completely disagree/////////

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  36. At the World Cup, Martinez was no big deal. Didn't do much without the ball that I can remember. We need a striker / sniper but work rate and passing skill/willingness are essential. Didn't notice that either. Pass on Jackson

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  37. Barbosa is a terrific name.

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  38. Lacazett is the ideal striker for us!

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  39. Jozy Altidore

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  40. I think the transfer fee will remain an issue. Yes, Liverpool should be happy to spend big on quality players but it's too much for a guy who would end his career at the club and not retain his value in the transfer market. I'd guess we'd get 4 years out of Martinez at best which amounts to over 7 million per year of service. That's not good business. Had Liverpool picked up the player all those years ago it would have been better. I'm sure the club are making enquiries but at the quoted price it will never happen. Every year we've waited on this is another year that Martinez has shortened his potential Liverpool career. I'd say 20 million might get it done but even then I'm not convinced. There are younger players out there who are worth investing in.

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