18 Jun 2015

'I'm Ready': Liverpool chase 'powerful' £21m international who'd 'love to play for big clubs'

Despite the presence of Lovren, Sakho, Skrtel, Toure, at Anfield (plus the imminent arrival of Joe Gomez), Liverpool reportedly remain on the hunt for yet another central defender, with £21m-rated Monaco powerhouse Aymen Abdennour the latest centre-half on the Reds' transfer wish-lits.

The Liverpool Echo reports:

"Liverpool have been given the green light to pursue a move for Aymen Abdennour [who] is ready for a new challenge".

25-year old Abdennour is definitely open to a move away this summer. When asked this week about a possible transfer abroad, he told French newspaper L'Equipe:

“I am ready for anything. I’d love to play for big clubs, so why not leave so I can make more progress?”

In May, Abdennour's agent confirmed that there is transfer 'interest' in the Tunisian' from 'all over the world'. He told Foot Mercato:

"We have received calls from clubs and sporting directors [and] concrete offers from teams [that] are really interested in Aymen."

Some info about Abdennour:

* Signed a 4-year deal with Monaco in 2014.

* 32 appearances for the French club during the 2014-15 season.

* 41 apps for the Tunisia national team.

* 7 injuries in the last 4 years (2x hamstring; 2 x heel; 2x heel bone issues; 2x muscle injuries; 1x knee injury)

* Claudio Ranieri's assessment after signing Abdennour in 2014: "Abdennour is a different type of player to those I have already. He is very powerful, and strong, and can be be very useful for our defense"

Is centre-half a priority position for Liverpool to fill this summer? Given the available options, it doesn't appear to be.

However, when one of those option is Dejan Lovren - who had a nightmare last season - and the increasingly injury prone Mamadou Sakho (3 separate injuries; 30 games missed last year), then it's clear that a strong, reliable partner for Martin Skrtel is a necessity.


Abdennour is hardly a man of steel, though - he suffered two separate injuries last season (10 games missed), and since 2011, he's been injured 7 times, and spent 189 days on the sidelines (31 games missed).

That's a better record than Sakho, who missed the same number of games in one season, but if Liverpool are to spend another £20m on a defender, it should probably go on someone who's a little more robust.

Worth a bid?

Author: Jaimie K


29 comments:

  1. we don't need a CB ... BR

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  2. We are planning to field 11 CBs against Stoke to prevent 6-1 scoreline again.

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  3. hahaha.... aim is to start the season with a draw right... mourinho eat your heart out

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  4. If LFC don't get there recruiting right this time around then it's going to be a long wait for any success to come back to LFC.Unless FSG sell to some seriously wealthy tycoon and we buy back success.

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  5. Said he wants to go to a big club. Wont be at LFC while FSG and Rodgers are in charge

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  6. I understand there are more pressing concerns, but I don't think there is a single position in the Liverpool squad which couldn't benefit from a new acquisition, if the acquisition is of higher quality. I suppose you could always say that, but I mean there aren't too many players in our team I think are irreplaceable.

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  7. What we need is to sell sterling for 50m and replace directly with top quality ie reus. If we have to pay up to 50m for reus so be it, were not in champions league and were crying out loud for proven quality. If we cant get reus for 50m, buy higuain for 30m and yarmolenko for 20m. Higuain scored 29goals/11assists. Yarmolenko scored 19goals/21assists. With our current set of players plus one of these strategies, well get top 4

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  8. Been saying that for how many years now?

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  9. We needn't partner for sakho not skrtel. Skrtel should be sold while he still has value and not be gave anew contract.

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  10. i think we're stocked enough at CB: Sakho, Skrtel (as nailed on starters) then Illori, Wisdom, Lovren, Toure.... we have enough the problem is that BR does not rely on any defensive strategies but the individual capabilities of his CBs and thats why our defense always needs some sort of refresh and gets torn to shreds at times

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  11. The presence of a world class striker is so crucial at lfc. Higuain can have his peak years at lfc trainig up ings and origi and win us the title

    ....................mingolet
    Clyne..........skrtel.......sakho......digne
    ................can.........hendo
    Yarmolenko.....coutinho......milner
    ........................higuain

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  12. agreed we have one more chance to not sc*** it up and so far underwhelmed is an understatement as to my feels on these transfers

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  13. We only need another central defender if we are to stick with 3 at the back, although I'll be surprised if we do, and if that is to be the case I'd bring Illoris back and give him a go.


    i would be stunned if Lovren was as bad again and hopefully Sakho will have better luck with injuries. Still stunned we kept Toure.

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  14. Don't the 11 CBs would stand much of a chance against Crouchy! 😉

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  15. 5_European_Cups1:01 am, June 19, 2015

    None of those players would come to Liverpool. Higuain for 30m? Napoli just said couple days ago his release clause is 72m and wouldn't be going for less.

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  16. I've never been that convinced of Skrtel myself, Sakho is a sick-note (unfortunately) and Lovren gives me palpitations. I wouldn't be against a top quality centre-half coming in, but realise there are other positions that need more urgent attention.

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  17. voice of reason1:32 am, June 19, 2015

    i agree with u as in i would also like a top quality centre-half to come in... but we have more pressing issues... also we could have ramos and silva as our CB pairing and we will still leak goals sigh.... we were good in season 2 cause we outscored teams think we need to focus on that again

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  18. Skrtel just signed 3 year contract.

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  19. not interested

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  20. Although we don't need another centre back, we need this type of players against the top eight teams and physical teams like Stoke. So Liverpool can use in those games and rest him in other easier games that Lovren and Sakho can handle.

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  21. He is not on a free, So no deal.

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  22. What we need is a solid DM. This position has been vacant since Mascha
    left. Is Brendan Rodgers blind or just plain ignorant?

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  23. voice of reason2:58 am, June 19, 2015

    ignorant

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  24. I'd argue blind as well.

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  25. if we are going to play 3 at the back then another CB would be needed. But this guy $20m!!! No way... there has to be better options than that.

    What happened with that big greek lad- the hard nutty looking one, plays in Germany or other options could be

    bring agger back (that could work)
    vertonghen (doesn't he want to leave spurs)
    Vlaar... maybe

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  26. voice of reason6:29 am, June 19, 2015

    my comment got removed it wasn't defaming BR though just stating that BR is stubborn with his tactics... insisting on playing players out of position... insiting in using strikers that either thrive off another striker or crosses... and the like... apologize if my comment was taken out of context

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  27. Hopefully we drop the need for 3 defenders and go back to a flat back 4, with two dominant CB who can head the ball and know how to track the strikers (ie be pacey).

    Then we'd get the balance of the team right with the purchase of a mobile aggressive DM. The quality and know-how of the CB-DM-CB back line is the core of the defensive unit and which makes or breaks a team.

    What people forget is that when we went on that 13 game run after Xmas, a very big factor was Lucas playing as DM for most of those games. And even though Lucas is the currently the best DM LFC have got, he no longer has the mobility required to do that position justice. I'd still keep him in the squad as a back-up DM - but we need to buy a DM before buying any CB's.

    Oh and get rid of BR's love child Allen - who after 3 years still don't know what role he fulfills.

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