5 Mar 2015

Anfield-bound? Liverpool contact Real Madrid to discuss 'fantastic' €32m playmaker transfer. Exciting?

Last week' reports claimed that Reds legend Xabi Alonso is trying to convince Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi to sign for LFC, and with speculation mounting about a possible summer transfer, it appears that the Reds are taking provisional steps in a bid to to seal the deal.

According to The Mirror:

* Liverpool have asked Real Madrid to keep them 'informed' about over Illarramendi’s situation.

* Real Sociedad are also monitoring the midfielder's progress.

Some info about Illaramendi:

* Cost Madrid €32m.
* Plays as a central/defensive midfielder.
* 31 apps for various Spain youth teams.
* 78 apps for Madrid over the last two seasons.
* 17 apps in the CL for Madrid.
* Current deal expires in 2019.

Unsurprisingly, Illaramendi doesn't want to leave one of the world's most successful clubs. When asked in January about his future, he told reporters:

"I want to stay at Real Madrid. I'm very happy at this club and in this city [and] I'm only looking towards [Madrid]"

Given the sheer number of top quality players at the Bernebeau, it's hardly surprising that Illarramendi can't hold down a place in Madrid's star-studded team, and the harsh reality is that the signings of Kroos and Lucas Silva will block the Spaniard's progression. Indeed, according to last Thursday's edition of Spanish newspaper Marca:

"Asier Illarramendi's situation at Real Madrid has taken a turn for the worse since Lucas Silva's arrival...and his days at Real Madrid look numbered".

Ancelotti does seem to rate Illaramendi, though. In September, he explained what the midfielder brings to Madrid:

“We put Illarra in to avoid risks. He’s more defensive-minded, and e wanted to control the game and he showed he was up to the task. He helped us come back in the game".

Italian legend Arrigo Sacchi is also a big fan of Illarramendi, and when asked last season about the midfielder, he raved:

“I was blown away by Illarramendi. He's a fantastic player. He can defend, he gets forward well, he reads the game well and can go long or short with his passing. I think he has a lot to offer Real"

That's a glowing recommendation from a true legend of the game, but with Silva getting games ahead of him, Illaramendi's future at the Bernebeu is looking shaky.

This season's dismal European performance underlines the urgent need for Liverpool to sign a couple of quality, Champions League-experienced midfielders, but is Illaramendi a viable summer transfer target?

Author:


29 comments:

  1. Yes I think he is a viable target.
    Illaramendi, Khedira, Lars Bender, Pjanic, Carvalho, Song, Imbulla are all good options I think (not sure if I've missed any).
    One of the above along with Lacazette, Danlio and Perin would be a great summer

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  2. No ,Liverpool is operating on passion and commitment to the cause,it does not need overrated showponies , otherwise we will become the next MU !!

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  3. Why are they overated showponies?

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  4. Casemiro?
    Camacho?

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  5. I agree, though none of the players Peter listed are overrated show ponies, except MAYBE Song or Khedira.

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  6. Carvalho and Khedira get my pick out of the above. From what I've heard from West Ham fans, Song has gone off the boil now....seems like he got himself in the shop window and is now coasting until a top team asks for him, personally I do not like that attitude, that puts me off along with inconsistent performances.
    Danilo is a big yes I think....he looks like a RWB and we sure need one if we are to persist with 343.
    I like Perin...he would push Mingolet rather than outright replace him.
    Lacazette seems too far I think, but I would certainly love it to happen. Good choices of options...improve the team no need for bulk changes.

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  7. I'm really liking the sound of recent rumours. Of course, they're just rumours, Lacazette, Illaramendi/Carvalho, and Danilo would be INCREDIBLE additions.

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  8. We will sign the Turkish boy who signed for Dortmond 2 years ago - B R very kken on him. F A must impose 6 game ban on Johnny Evans 4 for spiiting And 2 more for denying it - P Cisse proved who the real man is by being man enough to say sorry -if it was Suarez he would fined 15 games and called racist - L V G defending him is also crap

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  9. Or maybe he's simply lost form along with the rest of the West Ham team, which are now playing to their natural level.

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  10. No, from what they tell me of him its lack of effort not loss of form.
    He wanders around the pitch and seems to lose concentration. Of course that's from what I'm told, haven't seem them live to make my own judgement, but that is from their fans perspective.

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  11. Everything you're saying is just the word of West Ham FANS. They know as much about the club as we do about Liverpool. I mean, there were plenty of LFC fans calling for BR's head early in the season, and that would've been terrible advice. Everything taken from fellow fanbase source needs to be with a grain of salt. They might be bitter that Song isn't playing well, and are trying to blame him rather than the team as a whole for their fall from grace.

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  12. vietto and depay! £40m for both. 2 world class young talents (world class for there age). pace and movement up top. thats all we need. with players like emre, hendo, lallana and the passmaster of them all coutinho, fast players like vietto and depay who also have end product, will finish the chances.

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  13. 40M for both! I mean, they'd be great transfers, but Vietto is being quoted around 12M. Depay is no more than 20M for me. Thats only 32M :D Plus 18M for Illarra, that would bring us to an even 50M. Around 30M in sales, and that's pretty good business...

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  14. It isn't like Illaramendi is sitting the bench. He's made 29 appearances for RM this season alone. He's getting paid well and he's playing regularly on the team he loves. I don't buy that his progression is being hindered because he's not starting every match. The truth is he's a valued member of the team and he wants to stay. I think it will be hard to pry him away, but yeah, if we can, he looks like a great player.

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  15. Please not Song. If he is so good how come Arsenal and Barca got rid of him?

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  16. How many of the players you mentioned above are desperate to play for Liverpool ?

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  17. Not thrilled with the pay wall idea. There are a lot of casual visitors to this site that likely wouldn't come if they had to pay to read content they could read somewhere else...they can always go to another site...there are only about 31 gazillion other LFC sites. The people who comment don't change all that much from what I can see and you'll undoubtedly lose some of them in the process. I don't like the adds because they slow my already slow system down and I'm never going to 'fall in love' with any Asian or Russian girls no matter how good they look in the pictures...my wife wouldn't like it. However, I've grown accustomed to them so they don't bother me that much. BL: ads suck, but paying sucks worse.

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  18. I reckon the majority of players we sign are not desperate to play for Liverpool. Usually they will move to Liverpool as it represents a freat opportunity in the career (and money of course). The last player we signed that was desperate to play for Liverpool is Lambert, and I wouldn't call him a resounding success.

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  19. Personally I'm not totally convinced on those two

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  20. Spanish Joe Allen

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  21. Song would represent a decent signing but only for around 8-10 million. I would prefer one of the others really

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  22. Vietto would be good if we don't get Lacazette.
    Although Depay looks great I think we are well stocked in that 'wing forward' role

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  23. *great opportunity in their career

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  24. To be fair he chose to leave Arsenal to go to Barca and there's not really any shame in not being able to hold down a place in the Barca team, doesn't mean you're not a good player. They got rid of Yaya Toure after all...

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  25. Camacho has been on great form, but I suppose it's yet to be decided if it's form or ability.


    Casemiro is kinda the same, but I'm feeling a Sturridge/Coutinho/Can vibe from him. All three weren't exactly stars at Chelsea/Inter/etc., but with confidence and playing time, and a style of play that suits them, they broke out spectacularly. We could land him relatively cheaply too.

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  26. And Ibra...
    And many others. Not everyone can make it at Barca.


    And like Jock said, Arsenal didn't get rid of him... I'm pretty sure they wanted to keep him. Barca lured him in and Arsenal simply can't compete with that kind of influence.

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  27. Very few clubs can

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  28. Damn straight

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  29. Don't see how Ancellotti's comments suggest he doesn't rate him

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