Over the last week, (fabricated) rumours have surfaced regarding the possibility of Nicolas Anelka returning to Anfield in the new year, but now the real identity of his next club has been revealed...and it isn't Liverpool.
The Frenchman's alleged return was obviously never a credible option, and it now transpires that Anelka will probably be joining Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.
Ma Yue, assistant spokesman for Shenhua, told Shanghai Daily that the club had held "deep talks" with Anelka's brother, and confirmed that negotiations were going well:
"We started to talk about every detail from the first minute of the negotiations. The whole contract is made up of details. It's comprehensive and complicated, involving the player's image and the commercial cooperation".
In my view, Anelka was not a viable solution to Liverpool's goalscoring problems anyway. The club needs a proven goal-poacher, and given Anelka's record of one goal in 15 games this season, that's clearly not him.
Jaimie Kanwar
The Frenchman's alleged return was obviously never a credible option, and it now transpires that Anelka will probably be joining Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.
Ma Yue, assistant spokesman for Shenhua, told Shanghai Daily that the club had held "deep talks" with Anelka's brother, and confirmed that negotiations were going well:
"We started to talk about every detail from the first minute of the negotiations. The whole contract is made up of details. It's comprehensive and complicated, involving the player's image and the commercial cooperation".
In my view, Anelka was not a viable solution to Liverpool's goalscoring problems anyway. The club needs a proven goal-poacher, and given Anelka's record of one goal in 15 games this season, that's clearly not him.
Jaimie Kanwar
I wrote about him possibly coming to Anfield, but I never said it was a done deal.
ReplyDeleteWe do need a quality striker in the window or it will be 6th or 7th again.
Who can we sign?
ReplyDeleteBit unfair saying Anelka isn't a proven goalscorer-even his stats for this season can't be taken seriously against him because he's played, like, three games as a CF and at OT played AM! Most of the 15 apps were, also, as a sub. Take his career into consideration and THEN tell me he isn't a good finisher/poacher/whatever because he can do both that AND link up play better than 9/10 EPL front men.
ReplyDeleteThe ONLY reason he's leaving Chelsea is because of his age(and maybe because Sturridge is happier playing RW than Nico)and many Chelsea fans feel they'd have rather have him stay til the summer at least because last ACN he carried all Chelsea's goalscoring in DD's absence making the double that year a possibility. I'll never get why a Liverpool fan who has seen Nico for a while, and must have wished he'd stayed last time too, would say what you have about him. Sure, he's not quite as quick as he was but he's about the best natural finisher at Chelsea and well capable of scoring any number of goals when played AS the central striker even now.
His adaptability this season has cost him a lot more than a supposed lack of finishing ability.
He scores more then Carroll even when he's off form. Im happy to give Carroll time but i can't see him ever being a consistent 20+ goal a season striker.
ReplyDeleteWho id like to see come (Not that they will)
Negredo, Pato, Neymar, Villa, Higuain, Cavani
who is more likely knowing our luck
Pavlyuchenko, Kalou, Kenny Miller, Luca Toni, Obefemi Martins, Zigic,
obviously ive just named anyone passed it but you get my drift.
January is a hard time to get a top notch striker ok we may have got Suarez in Jan but players like that don't come around often in Jan.
PLAIN and SIMPLE; 'ANELKA IS A PLONKER' !!! THE LAST PLAYER LFC should sign !!!
ReplyDeleteWe don't need over the hill strikers even though it cost us nothing but paying fat wages bill.
ReplyDeleteHow about Rossi from Villareal? He is a quality player and good goal scorer too and could easily be 20 goal per season striker. I know he struggled with Man Utd during his previous spell but he is a much better player and has matured as a player.
ReplyDeleteRossi would be ideal for Suarez - but he is injured I believe and is also going to cost 20 mm plus
ReplyDeletespurs tried to sign rossi last january and were quoted an over the top of around 30mil.
ReplyDeleteimagine paying over 30 mil for a player who isn't worth it...
It was already reported on the day this "rumour" started that he was negotiating a Chinese contract. I mentioned this at the time but it was ignored.
ReplyDeleteReported, yes, but no quotes to back it up.
ReplyDeleteSent from iPhone
It would have been good had we signed him all those years back instead of El Hadj Diouf. One of Houllier's biggest mistakes.
ReplyDeleteFront line for LFC.
ReplyDelete---A.Johnson-----L.Suarez-----C.Bellamy----
Front line subs=A.Carroll,D.Kuyt
Best time to buy a world class striker is in the summer A.Johnson would cost 15/20m this would be a great signing.