26 Jul 2015

New Transfer? Liverpool chase 'extraordinary' playmaker who's worth '€100m'. Offer submitted already by English club. LFC?

Liverpool have signed a whole host of players this summer, and the club now appears to oversubscribed in the central midfield department. This isn't deterring Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, though, who is reportedly in the market for yet another central midfielder.

According to French newspaper L'Equipe this weekend:

* Liverpool are Spurs are interesting in signing 22-year old Nantes midfielder Jordan Veretout.

* Nantes have received an 'offer' from an un-named English club.

Some info about Veretout:

* Can play as a DM, a box-to-box midfielder, or as a number-10, where he played for much of last season.

* Current contract expires: 2017.

* 2013: Part of France's U-20 World Cup-winning squad.

* 44 apps for various France youth teams.

* 15 goals/23 assists (38) in 142 apps for Nantes (goal/assist every 3.8 games)

* Last season: 7 goals/7assists in 40 apps (goals/assist every 2.8 games)

Nantes President Valdemar Kita is determined to keep hold of Vertout. In December, he told Presse Ocean:

"He [Veretout] will not leave. Obviously, if you offer me €100 million, I will think twice"

In early July, Kita reiterated his stance once again:

"There is no question of Veretout leaving. He is extraordinary, and he told us that he wants to stay. There's no chance".

When asked last night about Liverpool's interest, however, Kita seemed resigned to the possibility of Veretout leaving the club. He told Foot Mercato:

"If he [Veretout] comes to me and he decides to leave, I will not have a choice. I will not stop his footballing and economic developments. There already final offers and others will come".

With Henderson, Milner, Allen, Lucas, Coutinho, Firminho, and Lallana, where does Veretout fit in?


Unless, he has the supreme self-confidence to go to a new league/country, and immediately force his way into the first team, (and push more established players down the pecking order), then the Veretout will be swallowed up by Liverpool's squad.

That is an unlikely scenario, though, and it rarely happens at Liverpool. Coutinho is the only attacking player and/or midfielder in recent years who's been able to do that.

Additionally, Liverpool's record with France-based players is patchy at best, with Ligue One being a barren hunting ground over the years.

In any event, if Liverpool are to sign another midfielder, then surely the cash should go towards a dedicated, top-quality defensive midfielder.

That kind of player is (arguably) far more necessary than another Mr Versatile.

In my view, the club needs more positional specialists, especially in midfield, not more players whowho can play ten different positions.

Author: Jaimie K


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