3 Sept 2015

Anfield Outcast: Liverpool tried to sell 'incredible' £12m star on transfer deadline-day. Irresponsible?

In the latter stages of the summer transfer window, Barcelona were regularly linked with an improbable move for £12m Liverpool defender Alberto Moreno, and although the Reds are woefully short of cover at left-back, Brendan Rodgers reportedly tried to scrap the Spaniard before the transfer window closed.

According to the Daily Express:

* Liverpool offered Moreno to Real Madrid on transfer deadline day.

* Rafa Benitez was initially 'keen' on Moreno as a direct replacement for Fabio Coentrao.

* Benitez ultimately 'opted out' of a deal.

If this is true, then it explains why Moreno is being ignored for a starting place in favour of 18-year old Joe Gomez.

Liverpool desperately needed a new left-back this summer. Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson grees, and in a recent column for the Liverpool Echo, he urged Brendan Rodgers to relegate Moreno to the bench:

"Since the New Year, he [Moreno] has been really struggling for form. It all fell apart in the second half of the season. Worryingly, quite often he has looked a little boy lost in the big games"

Moreno doesn't appear to be very popular with the fanbase, either. Last month, I ran a poll on the site asking fans whether Liverpool should sell Moreno:

* 49% of fans votes YES to a sale.

* A slim majority of 51% voted NO to a deal.

Fans are split right down the middle, which (arguably) shows that there's no great confidence in Moreno as Liverpool's long-term option at left-back.


Moreno - who, according to ex-Red Neil Mellor has 'incredible' energy' - may have issues defensively, but selling him during the summer would've been a tad irresponsible:

* Liverpool are weak at left-back, and there's a real dearth of experience in the position.

* Gomez is playing out of position; Enrique is out of the picture, which leaves Moreno as the only dedicated left-sided full-back in the first team squad.

* If Liverpool sold Moreno, there'd basically be no cover, and it's hard to see how that makes any kind of logical football sense.

As such, it's probably a good thing that the deal failed. Plus, there may be a silver lining: Liverpool need attacking width in the team, and Moreno is able to provide that. If he's not going to play at left-back, then play him as an wide-man.

The Spaniard has shown his attacking effectiveness in spells, and if he's converted into an attacking midfielder, there's still a chance he won't turn out to be another Rodgers transfer flop.

Author: Jaimie K


0 Comments:

Post a Comment