31 Mar 2015

Origi-Killer? Liverpool chase £15m 20-goal 'menace' hailed by Mourinho. €13m offer made last summer

Prior to the recent January transfer window, Liverpool were linked with a move for Anderlecht striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who plays alongside recent Reds signing Lazar Markovic for the Serbia national team. The Reds' interest in Mitrovic is well established, and new reports this week suggest that the attacker is still on LFC's transfer wishlist.

Last summer, Mitrovic's agent, Nenad Jestrovic, told reporters:

"Liverpool were willing to pay €13m for him [Mitrovic]...but Anderlecht didn’t want to hear about a transfer"

According to The Daily Express today, 20-year Mitrovic remains a a transfer 'target' for Liverpool, who've extensively scouted the youngster over the last year.

Arsenal are also reportedly interested, and in February, Mitrovic confirmed that he definitely wants a move to the Premier League:

"The Premier League? That's not just a dream, I'd love to play there. Everything depends on the clubs that want me and the money requested and offered"

Some info about Mitrovic:

* 36 goals/11 assists in 77 apps for Anderlecht.
* Goal/assist every 1.6 games.
* 1 goal in 6 apps for the Serbia national team.
* 11 goals in 21 apps for various Serbia youth teams.
* Two league title medals (for Partizan and Anderlecht)
* Most expensive transfer in Anderlecht's history.
* 2013: UEFA Under-19 Championship winner.
* This season: 20 goals/5 assists in 38 apps.
* Goal/assist every 1.5 games.

Urgh. Not another young, inexperienced player with the potential to come good at some undetermined point in the future. You only need to look at the impact of similarly-aged attackers like Lazar Markovic, Luis Alberto, Fabio Borini, Suso etc to see that this is almost certainly an ill-advised idea.

Granted, with the misfiring triumvirate of Lambert/Balotelli/Borini, and the endlessly injured Daniel Sturridge, new strikers are (arguably) Liverpool's biggest priority. However, after the utter failure of most of Rodgers' attacking signings in the 18-22 range, it's doubtful that Mitrovic is the answer, especially for the £15m.

Additionally, if Liverpool sign Mitrovic, where does that leave Divock Origi, who is the same age? Can the team support both strikers? If, hypothetically, Mitrovic comes in and does well, I can definitely see Origi going back out on loan next summer.

Perhaps Mitrovic is a back-up for Luciano Vietto, another young striker being pursued by Liverpool? The Serb's goals/assists record for Anderlecht is impressive, but with the greatest respect, the Belgian league is not renowned for it's quality and competitiveness.

Former Liverpool attacker Milan Jovanovic insists that Mitrovic is destined for great things, though, and in an interview last season, he raved:

"He [Mitrovic] is a real top finisher – a menace in the box, and he's built for the top"

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is also a fan, and after seeing him score for Serbia against Croatia in 2013, he gushed:

“He [Mitrovic] was the best player on the pitch. He managed to keep the ball well and that was the key. That boy has everything to be a European star.”

Worth a bid?



Author:


18 comments:

  1. Nevergonnacrackthecode5:48 pm, March 31, 2015

    He reminds me of Balotelli,Lambert,Giroud
    that type of player , if Liverpool played to his strength he could be a good player , however,we have a certain identity of playing fast pressing football , and for that we need agile players.
    Rodgers loves the Barca style of play from 2008-2012 , Ibrahimovic one of the best players ever could not fit into it because Braac preferred pressing with Messi.
    Liverpool need small,agile players.
    Lacazette,Vietto,Dyabla

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  2. Vietto would be preferable because of his high intensity pressing and lethal finishing.

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  3. Vietto and Depay would be the ideas choices for me. Dybala and Lacazette are excellent players but we will be priced out of buying them unfortunately

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  4. Nevergonnacrackthecode5:51 pm, March 31, 2015

    Liverpool need a player exactly like Kun Augero
    He is perfect for Liverpool .


    Vietto is apparently the heir to Augero so maybe him

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  5. nuh. Vietto is playing in the best league in the world La liga and is a 30 goal a season striker. we cant rely on Sturridge as he is always injured so i'd buy Vietto up front, £15-20M. Felipe Anderson from Lazio for £20M and Moussa Sissoskho from Newcastle for £15M.


    next year
    ----------------------------------------Mingolet
    McCaughlin----------------Skrtel--------------Sakho--------------Flanagan
    --------------------------Sissokho-------------------Can
    -------Anderson-------------------Coutinho------------------Ibe
    ---------------------------------------Vietto

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  6. hes world class. hes just needs the stage to prove it and anfield will be perfect. hes a team player and does things was right at the right time. he scores and makes assists and i assure you if we sign him, whilst developing, he will turn LFC from top 4 chasers to title winners. at 23, 24 i expect Vietto to lift the Ballon'dor. hes that good. i just hope its at LFC. theres something about those Argentines which make them so great and Vietto is one of them. hes determined to be the best as well which makes it so much more better.

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  7. Dybala is good but he is a striker and is not outperferming Felipe Anderson who is a midfielder. and Dybala is has 12 goals in a not so good Serie A, whilst Vietto has 12 goals in La Liga(best league) and a further 8 in Europe and 8 assists. Lacazette is also quality but for age, develepmont and what he is already capable of, Vietto is the best option for LFC. when we were linked with Suarez, i begged for LFC to sign him. i was well aware he scored 49 goals in one season for Ajax and he had a brilliant world cup scoring 3 goals. he has gone on to become part of the best 5 players in world football. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arjen Robben, Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale. Vietto, Felipe Anderson, Memphis Depay and Moussa Sissokho. sell sterling £70M and invest in these stars

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  8. We need Yaya goddamn Toure. We literally have the advantage of having his brother here. If we show any sort of interest towards him, we can easily persuade him to join Liverpool instead of Inter.

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  9. Please stop saying la liga is the best league in the world. for all i know the rest of what you said could have been a good shout but I've stopped reading twice when you have said la liga is the best league in the world.

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  10. Carlsberg don't do 'the best league in the world' but if they did...
    It would be in Jamaffrica :-)

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  11. Nevergonnacrackthecode10:34 pm, March 31, 2015

    The best is German league then it is La Liga
    look at Emre Can , that Bundesliga pundit said he was quite poor .
    But he looks head and shoulders above every other player at Lfc bar maybe Coutinho.
    That shows the gulf of differnce

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  12. Nevergonnacrackthecode10:35 pm, March 31, 2015

    Not everyone that thinks like me is me.
    Just like not everyone who thinks like you is not Bob lablow.

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  13. Nevergonnacrackthecode10:38 pm, March 31, 2015

    That would be negligence of the highest order signing him.
    He is old and off form , he is slowly declining the peak of his powers was last year , and he can be very lazy at times.


    For em , just tell Emre Can "you are the best midfielder in the world show us what you can do"
    and we should be fine.

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  14. Nevergonnacrackthecode10:40 pm, March 31, 2015

    good for you.
    What is your favorite type of fish?
    have you ever fished a shark cause that would be awesome

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  15. Haddock but Cod if they've run out of Haddock.

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  16. My head is swimming.

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  17. If I reply to you now Bob will that dispel what I think Never is saying or just further the madness? Either way apologies your good name has been sullied.

    ReplyDelete