6 Mar 2015

Can-killer? Liverpool determined to sign 'extraordinary £37m destroyer who 'dreams' of transfer to the Premier League

With only a couple of months to go before Steven Gerrard leaves Anfield, the search is on for players to fill the void, and in that regard, the Reds are once again being linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho.

In November, multiple reports claimed that Liverpool, Arsenal, Man United, and Chelsea were planning a January offer for Carvalho, and according to Portuguese newspaper Record this week:

* Liverpool are 'determined' to sign Carvalho, who has a €47m (£37m) buyout clause in his contract.

* LFC scouts watched him in action on Sunday during Lisbon's 3-0 defeat to Porto.

Earlier this season, Carvalho - hailed by Portugal boss Paolo Bento as an 'extraordinary' player - revealed his desire to play for one of the World's top clubs:

"We all have ambitions and I hope one day to play in the best leagues in the world. If I continue to do my job as I have done so, it will certainly come sooner or later."

Then, Last month, Carvalho made it clear that he wants a move to the Premier League. He told reporters:

“My dream is to play in England. I know some clubs are interested, but my agent Jorge [Mendes] is looking after it and I am relaxed.”

Carvalho is exactly the type of tenacious, athletic, tough-tackling midfielder Liverpool (arguably) need, but if the Reds spend £30m+ on him, where does that leave Emre Can?

* You don't spend that kind of money for a bench-warmer, and if Can moves into midfield, and LFC sign Carvalho (or some other midfielder), the competition will be incredibly fierce:

- Henderson
- Allen
- Lucas
- Can
- Carvalho

* It's possible that one of either Lucas or Allen may leave this summer, but if not, I don't see how Rodgers can keep five first-team central midfielders happy for a whole season. Henderson will almost certainly play most games, which leaves just ONE spot available to share between four players.

* The other option is to kill-off Can's midfield ambitions by converting him into a full-time defender. I doubt the German will want that - he's on record several times stating that his preferred position is in midfield, and with Gerrard leaving, he probably expects to be playing there next season.

It's probably all moot, though. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United have superstar managers capable of attracting top players, so when it comes to the crunch, Liverpool will almost certainly lose out on the transfer.

That may not be such a bad thing overall - £37m for a 22 year old with no experience outside Portugal? You're having a laugh.

Author:


73 comments:

  1. I don't see this as a bad move for Can, Can can hold his own. Carvalho is just the sort of player we need to add the required strength in depth to a squad determined to win trophies and compete in Europe....We can assume we will be offloading numerous players come summer, Lucas, Gerrard, Enrique, Alberto and Aspas to name a few, but we can't let them go without replacing them, and why not replace them with better players that will force the others to up their games.... Nah! this doesn't spell trouble for Can, this spells opportunity.

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  2. No, Rodgers buy Carvalho to replace Skrtel in future ))))

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  3. Just another Jamie K fabricated feature with no substance to support his claim of any LFC interest. Stck to reporting facts Jamie not fiction

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  4. You need to add Milner to that list as well.
    Carvalho would be a GREAT buy and at 6'2" he could easily play as central defender .

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  5. Not sure you right as all the newspaper headlines are running this thread .

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  6. He made claims? Read the article again.

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  7. Not sure you are right as all the newspaper headlines are running this thread .

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  8. Too expensiby by far - forget this wont happen

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  9. it is not necessarily a bad thing that Can will be converted to central defender full time. i just read an article by Kristian Walsh where he wrote that amid central defenders in his age group, he statistically outperforms everyone in top european leagues (serie A, Bundes, Premier, La Liga, Ligue1). big name youngsters like Marquinhos, LaPorte, Varane, are all second to Can as defender.

    with his Calmness and skill on ball and vision, we have one hell of a ball playing defender in our hands.

    comparing to our last "ball playing defender" which was Agger. I think Can is better on ball, bringing it out of defence, attacking, and even defending (how he bossed Lukaku, for instance)

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  10. You're assuming the system will always be 3-4-3. We know BR will utilise different systems at different times.

    Can for me has looked better in a back 3 anyway and moves with ball from defence into midfield pretty frequently. Hardly an out and put defender.

    Next season we'll be playing a lot of games again and Gerrard and another (probably Lucas) will leave. We therefore need at least one more central midfielder.

    Hardly Can killer but a necessity for the squad

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  11. Signing Alex Song would be much better option than signing Carvalho who is still unproven and would cost a fortune whereas Song is already proven premier league player with quality to play for Liverpool and wouldn't cost much.

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  12. I hope we keep Lucas but 4 midfielders (Lucas, Can, Allen and Henderson) is not enough for a season. Especially if Can is needed for defense in some games.
    We need one more good midfielder, Carvalho is a decent option although I would only pay around 22 million. Illaramendi may be a cheaper and better option. With Rossiter this would give us 6 midfielders for the 2 holding positions but all would give different attributes.

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  13. Is everyone in Portugal just tiny? He looks like a monster compared to the players in that video? It's like he's playing with children.


    I guess he's the kind of all-action box to box player the club want to help fill the Gerrard gap. I don't doubt that Liverpool are looking for such a player, they won't be relying on the guys they've already got and even with Can potentially stepping up they'll want to bring someone in. Of course it will mean intense competition but I expect Lucas to leave and the club should be aiming high. Henderson needs genuine competition, as much as he's improved I don't think we want to use him as the high benchmark for a midfielder. Can will certainly have to step up another level to prove himself but you expect that too, he's not at the club to stagnate and just be an OK player.


    Gerrard and Lucas will potentially both leave this summer. I'd expect Liverpool only need one inbound player to cover them both because it's really that deep lying role that needs to be filled and other players in the squad can provide cover. Two players out and one in ... it seems the least we can do.


    The buyout clause is a joke. Let other clubs pay that if they want, Liverpool never will.

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  14. Can, Can can?

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  15. Sporting Lisbon are wanting 25m

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  16. The same old story .. An article about a Liverpool linked player, who according to the author is way overpriced. Now I'm having a laugh!
    OT: Although William Carvalho has a release clause in his contract does not necessarily mean that this is what we are gonna pay for him. If a price can be negotiated at around £20-25 million, we should definitely go for it. He is a real world class talent and what we have been missing for a very long time. Regarding Emre Can, he should not be played anywhere else besides in a centreback role. He has looked amazing during our run of games in 2015.

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  17. Ive watched Song in his last few games and he has been poor.

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  18. whats wrong with a midfield 3 of can carvalho and hendo? That is just power! How do you say no to that? Skrtel sakho, moreno manquillo (or better), coutinho in the hole with sterl and sturra up front! Power pace power creativity power

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  19. Did JK start charging already, where is everybody these days?

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  20. If the side becomes subscriber only, it would be the end of this site...
    But i guess 97% voting against says it all ;-)

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  21. My work schedule has really sucked last 2 months nth sorry so - no time to breathe- comin to an end soon

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  22. Really curious who are the 3%...

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  23. Carvalho or Schneiderlin would be perfect. Can is excellent in defense, I wouldn't move him personally, and he still gets to burst forward in our attacking team. I love a great holding midfielder as much as a great striker. Being able to dominant midfield and win the ball is priceless in the premier league.

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  24. Yeah but he's not worth 37'million (imo).

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  25. Well some extra cash can't hurt.. You are probably among the 3% willing to pay...

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  26. probably jaimie himself and some rich b!tches that don't know what an adblocker is

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  27. Five competent midfielders, one of whom can play centre-half and two of whom have indecent injury histories. Sounds fine to me.

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  28. It makes me happy to see the name "Schneiderlin" spelt correctly on here.

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  29. Comparing tongue last ball playing defender? Sakho!

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  30. Terrific squad player, and on a romantic side of things he's been here through tick and thin, the most senior player we have- hope he'll stay to win the league with us...

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  31. Southampton want to make him their highest earner apparently to stave off interest from Arse etc

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  32. Deleted for no good reason?

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  33. Me too i am sick of people mis spelling Snooderlen!!!!!

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  34. Carvalho at 37 mill wont happen i am sorry just dont see it, yes its likely Lucas or Allen will go but what a problem to have just who to pick every manager wants that dilemma.

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  35. Imagine subscribing and being banned the next day.

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  36. Its funny whenever were winning were always linked to the cream of the crop whereas in October it was all freebies and English talent.

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  37. Logan is going to keep voting for subsciption until this becomes an anti Rodgers site and then he can argue with himself

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  38. Or just getting deleted for pointing our something inaccurate.

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  39. He wouldn't win that one...

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  40. That's not true at all. You and others seem to forget that 99.9% of visitors don't comment; most people just read and go.

    The Times newspaper lost 90% of online readership when it went into subscription mode, so given the number of people who visit the site every month, 3% of subscribers (as per the poll right now) is perfectly normal.

    If this site goes subscription, it will not be the 'end' in any way. It just means a smaller readership. However, it means I can get rid of ads; get rid of trolls etc in the comment community, and focus more on in-depth analysis of LFC.

    It's only exploratory at this stage, though. If it was to happen it'll be a couple of years in the future.

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  41. Djafu Merseyside2:03 pm, March 06, 2015

    look, i don't think emre can is the ideal player to play alongside henderson anyways. he's not a classic holding midfielder who just sits deep and waits to destroy counter attacks. he'll always try and run with the ball towards goal to contribute to the attack...so will jordan henderson, that could leave us short numbered in central midfield at times, allowing opposition to run at the back 3.


    if can stays in the back 3, he could still make his runs without leaving the defence exposed, knowing skrtel and sakho will be there. it's all about balance!

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  42. I thought Chelsea bought Kramaric and loaned him to Leicester no?

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  43. I agree, I think he lacks pace in midfield the way we want to play. He can be our Beckenbaur from CB

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  44. I don't think Allen will be going anywhere but with with Gerrard leaving and probably Lucas as well, there's definitely room for another CM without it having to spell the end for Can

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  45. Varane is no way inferior to Can as a defender. Let not get carried away

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  46. Don't agree that you don't spend big money for a player who might not play every game. That's small time thinking. All the really TOP teams have 'too many' good players. Let them compete. If their self confidence is as big as it should be, they think they'll play anyway....

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  47. He banned everyone

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  48. Having seen him play I think he is overrated. He's a good player, but overrated.


    PS anyone here going to the Brasil vs Chile match? I managed to get tickets so will see Coutinho play!!!!

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  49. Hmmmm would take him at around £20M but £37M, no thanks!! Decent player and has the potential to be a top top player but you don't spend £37M on potential...oh hang on a minute...

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  50. He lacks acceleration but is actually fast. Or fast enough. That inititial burst of pace doesn't have to be a problem but he would have to be very tactically aware and I am not sure we could hope.for that at his age and enthusiasm. He wants to make the gs happen so will burst forward.

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  51. I was thinking about our players compared to our top four rivals and I wondered if Lallana gets an unfairly hard time? So I thought hold up, has Di Maria or Ozil been any better? I am sure before their transfers to those other teams in red we would all have liked them here but considering fees and undoubtedly getting much more money than Lallana have they performed better? I had a look at stats and their offensive stats are hardly different. A goal more here and an assist more there, a couple more chances created but not much at all. Then you look at the tackles and see why Lallana is such a good player for us. Pressing from the front. If not winning the ball back he slows the opposition down or fouls them. That is the kind fo defending from the front we had last year and something Di Maria, or Ozil wouldn't give us. I know people complain about the price but comparatively that is not that bad.

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  52. Good point but think it is fair to say when 'on song' both Ozil and Di Maria can win matches single handedly. Not so sure Lallana can have such an individual impact but even on a poor day for him at least he is closing players down, chasing lost causes. Same can't be said of the other 2.

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  53. When has Ozil been on song thoug. In the last two years? The odd game against lower opposition maybe. A picture of was painted of him as a true world beater because of his play and assists stats for Real.....that for me was always a distorted view of how good he is for two reasons. First and foremost its easy (or at least easier) to get a lot of assists when you are battering Almeria 5-0 every week. Real have four or five really tough matches a year domestically and win the rest aside from the odd slip, it doesn't work like that over here. Second how many of that (admittedly impressive ) number of assists were him passing the ball square to Ronaldo who then lashed it in from 30 yadds or beat two players and scored. Given the dynamic of Real's team I would say a high number fell into that category. Mourinho played him cos he knew his team would be on top but have a look who was always subbed when the tied turned even a little (Ozil was the most subbed starter in the league)

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  54. They'be all been blocked for disagreeing with our dear leader:-). I probably won't last after saying this

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  55. There are rumours today about Barça being interested in Henderson...

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  56. Everyone's here it's just all the comments have been deleted...

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  57. Nah! he wanted to play football so snubbed Chelsea and joined Leicester.. I think he has a clause in his contract though that allows him to leave if they get relegated, but not a Chelsea player...

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  58. No one is really worth £37m, but I doubt that'll be the real sale figure.. Just the release clause to ensure he didn't get sold until they were ready to sell, and I think they are now ready. I expect anywhere between £15m and £20m, but still steep...or maybe just the going rate these days.

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  59. Just don't ask Can to do the Can Can...

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  60. William Carvalho is only 6ft.2
    Top quality midfield enforcers appear bigger than they actually are.The Primeira Liga isn't a midget division like the J-league.Carvalho just plays like a 8ft monster.
    Javier Mascherano was a small defensive midfielder.However during 90 minutes of football he turned into a 7ft aggressive defence protector.When the final whistle was blown he would turn back into a 5ft.7 person:)
    Carvalho's physical presence is scary.Who in their right mind would happily want to go for a tough tackling challenge with him?!

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  61. If anyone at Liverpool can can-can Can can. Can he not?

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  62. He Can can can...

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  63. Lucky man! However much the tickets set you back, it will be money well spent.Brazil's star has faded, but there's still something magical about them.
    Coutinho should've made Scolari's average World Cup squad.It must've been crushing for him to miss out.I'm glad Dunga can see his obvious talent.
    Chile are great to watch.Marcelo Bielsa worked wonders when he coached them.He set fantastic attacking football foundations.

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  64. he justified his view with statistics, respectable writer, i naturally assumed that statistics prove it so then, i did not research further.



    he may or may not be, but in key defensive areas, walsh claims Can is outperforming them. its not my oppinnion.



    did you read what i wrote?

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  65. Why do I feel like an etc?

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  66. Lucas has to go, Allen is a squad player. Problem solved!

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  67. Makes sense. Iniesta's hairstyle is just too plain.

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  68. Lucas is a gonner. Maybe Allen too. That would leave 3/4 players which is fine. Even if Hendo and Carvalho formed an awesome partnership, Can could start at right or left centre back all season long and do a superb job!


    He'll start next season. Have no fear.

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