26 Aug 2012

'We must sell!' - Labrune invites offers for £13m LFC striker target. Sign him?

It's only two competitive games into the new season but Liverpool are still suffering from the same maddening problem: poor finishing and an inability to score goals regularly. According to Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool don't need another goalscorer (!), but I'm sure most fans would disagree with that, and if Rodgers doesn't want to suffer the same ultimate fate as Kenny Dalglish, he better double his efforts to sign a goalscorer before the transfer window slams shut next week. Who to buy, though? Well, Marseille striker Loic Remy is available, and is definitely a realistic target.

Last week, Marseille chairman Vincent Labrune confirmed the Ligue 1 outfit is experiencing financial difficulties, and he specifically stated that certain players would be allowed to leave. He told France Football:

"Our objective is very clear: we must sell players. We are trying to reduce the wage bill and our priority since May has been to get money to make up for missing out on Champions League. We have three players we have agreed to let leave - Cesar Azpilicueta, Stephane Mbia and either Loic Remy or Andre Ayew"

Remy has been linked with a move to Anfield on several occasions over the last year, and prior to the Euros, the player's agent, Frederic Guerra, revealed that the France International harboured a 'dream' of playing in the English Premier League.

In July 2011, Guerra revealed the extent of the Reds' interest in the player, and made it clear that Remy wanted to play for Liverpool:

"Nothing has been settled yet but I know that Liverpool are having a meeting about transfers and we expect something this week. Remy is pure gold and I am not saying that because I am his agent. He has great pace and that is something Liverpool need in attack. He is ideally suited for the English game and while he is determined to go to the Premier League, his heart is set on playing for Liverpool".

If £13m-rated Remy 'had his heart set on playing for Liverpool' a year ago then I doubt much would've changed in the intervening time. The Reds were obviously interested in the player, and given the fact Marseille are desperate to sell, shouldn't Brendan Rodgers at least consider the possibility of a deal?

Remy's stats for the last two seasons:

* 60 games played
* 27 goals | 9 Assists
* 1 goal every 163 mins (1 every 1.8 games)
* 1 goal/assist every 122 mins (1 every 1.3 games)
* 18% conversion rate (Carroll = 5.2% | Suarez = 10.1%)

Remy is not the most prolific goalscorer but his conversion rate far exceeds that of any of Liverpool's attacking players, and this is what the club needs. Worth a bid?



Jaimie Kanwar


46 comments:

  1. Jordan Rhodes, fox in the box, 40 last season, enough said. :)

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  2. Totally agree, Jay.  Rhodes would be cheap too.

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  3. nice stats but no mention of his heart defect... prob the reason he hasnt moved already plenty of teams look at him but decide not to bid

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  4. Unfortunately, Liverpool are in a position where they have to sell to buy. Prefer Loic Remy to Dempsey, however, considering that a fee of £10 million is still being bandied about for Dempsey.

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  5. Um, jamie i dont think we have any money left. Anyway how do u think about sahin. By the way why are all fans hating FSG, i hope u know jamie that we had to contend with 50m loss + dalglish sack compensation+ clarke and co staff sack compensation + Rodgers arrival compensation.

    Hopefully we will squeeze through to the Top 4 and then we will have money for a title chase.

    One more thing, even if we lose 10-0 to manc we shud back rodgers, dont forget arsenal lost 8-2 to manu and tot lost 5-0 to manc last season and still ended top4

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  6. Jordans available for around £6m, maybe not proven in the Prem but have you seen some of the goals he's scored?!!
      Shame we let Tom Ince go.. he's doing well. 

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  7. u must be a manu fan. Ahhh, go back to ur team. LFC blogs are for LFC fans

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  8. Remy to me, just another Ryan Babel, sorry but no thanks. Totally agree, with you Jay, Jordan Rhodes, absolutely brilliant, cant understand why our scouts havn`t put his name forward? He certainly would be worth a try? maybe he could be our next Fowler?.

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  9. Enam - please do not hassle other posters like this.  Even if he is a Man U fan, he is still welcome on this site. All (civil) rival fans are welcome.

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  10. Ince was a decent player. Had pace to burn and loads of potential. We let since go and then give Spearing a contract extension. Work that one out.

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  11. Yes, it was like trading in a Ferrari for a Skoda: inexplicable

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  12. I agree, Enam.  If we lose the next 2 games I'll still be backing Rodgers.  FSG have done a good job at the club so far IMO, and the vitriol towards them from some fans is unwarranted.

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  13. Won't be a popular move but Michael Owen could be the temporary solution for our goalscoring problem.

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  14. That's because there is an awful lot missing from our scouts. They do not seem to have the acumen to do a good job as far as I can see.

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  15. I don't think any prem side has shown a real interest in Rhodes, methinks they see something we don't

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  16. I'm not convinced by Remy tbh, but at least he has the pace which is so desperately needed throughout our team. 

    Imo we need a much better striker than Borini up front, and if Carroll isn't even going to get a look-in, we might as well take whatever we can get for him, bring in somebody else to play upfront, move Suarez out wide and let Borini come along from the bench without the expectations of being the striker to immediately lead the team back up the table.

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  17. The main thing I can remember fans talking about Ince when he was with us (and this was from before the contract situation) was a poor attitude, as if they all personally knew the dude. Same as with Ecclestone, Silva and Sterling too actually.

    It's extremely difficult to figure out where these assumptions came from...

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  18. Shifting Adam Spearing.Cole & Carroll is the problem they're hanging around like a bad smell.
    If we can get these deadbeats off the wage bill and some money in for them we may have enough to sign.
    What it looks like these guys are deluded enough to think they're good enough to make the squad.
    Brendan should put them up for sale cus they have no intention of leaving of there own accord.
    if I were a player and I knew the coach didn't want me I'd be looking to play 1st team football rather than warming the bench.

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  19. I would like your thoughts on Downing, and Jamies too? I myself dont think he`s good enough, think Brenden should be looking to offload  him, and Joe Cole too.

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  20. Downing is a total waste of money, and I agree with you, just not good enough. He is a passenger, and is only stunting the progression of others in the team, like Raheem Sterling, for example. Hopefully, Assaidi will consign Downing to the bench for the rest of the season. Having said that, if Rodgers starts Downing ahead of Assaidi today, it will be a massively disappointing decision.

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  21. Why would any of them want leave with the bumper contracts their on? They know that no other club would pay half the wages their on. Pretty smart I'd say. Cheers Kenny .

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  22. Jordan Rhodes is the man, its not his phenomenal strike rate that matters its the manner with which he takes his goals, razor sharp clinical, v much fowler esque LFC should go all out to get him, he's a v level headed lad and at 22 is a great age, imagine him up front between Suarez and Borini hell yeah..........

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  23. Throw Downing in that mix. And I know Cole was Roy's doing.

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  24. rhodes is a good shout cheap too and lets face it were only looking at cheap and free players cannot believe sunderland have got more fianancial clout than us hope we get a decent result today and not another hammering

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  25. montenegro scousser12:38 pm, August 26, 2012

    who is rhodes, where is he playing now?

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  26. You may think Carroll is a deadbeat,but i reckon under the
    guidence of big Dunc. across the park,the woodentops,would
    be right up there for a top4 spot

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  27. But are Sunderland digging there own Financial Grave,i also
    think fsg have spent more than Sunderland already this
    window.

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  28. This is why we bought Borini...his stats look similar to this guy...lets give them time

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  29. Loic remy would be a great replacement for Carroll. Although I would prefer to get rid of downing than Carroll to make room for another attacking player.

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  30. We need someone who can finish off shots. I like the idea of Rhodes too. Remy reminds me of Ryan "I love to give the ball away" Babel too sometimes, but I'd keep him in mind. He's about 6th on my list of people to sign though. Dempsey is 7th. 

    Watching the three games this season though, I think in the final week Rodgers might want to start thinking about a really good defender as a pickup too. Skrtel's mistake... yeah, sloppy. That first goal though should never have happened. Carra wouldn't have let that happen, and that's what's missing. When we got the Cup in Istanbul, that defense was solid. We held the record for consecutive clean sheets. Now we give up 3 goals to West Brom? Defense is starting to look like it's got to be a priority.  

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  31. I'm sorry to say this but I've observed that this is a label black players tend to get. IMO totally off the mark! Babel & Cisse have also shared that label!

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  32. Remi is a fantastic player, when fit.  Extremely quick on & off the ball.  I think, he was unlucky for the injury, otherwise would have started for France, this Euro.  However, he is not a good finisher (though hi conversion rate is extremely good in context of French League & without being the penalty taker.  I think, he can be a very good addition, if only we can off-load Cole, Downing & Adam.  He 'll not be playing as the lead forward in a 3 man forward shape.

    Don't know who this young man Rhodes is, but must be a super hyped, average English player, taking advantage of poor Championship defense.  Otherwise at 22, he won't be playing for mighty Huddersfield Town.  The lack of quality English talent has made the fans desperate - they are trying to find the Henrys, the CRods & the Augueros in every English player.  Remember Andy Carroll?  Had a great season in Championship & 1/2 in PL - LFC paid the penalty.  I think, Rhodes is along in the line of so called super talented English prodigies - Wickham, Phil Jones or Henderson.

    If we have money to spend around 15mn, we should try our best to get a CF like Huntelor, Jovetic, Damio or at least Lukk de Jong.  No more over hyper British player please.        

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  33. Downing would be better deployed as a left back rather than as a winger. As least we would have cover for Jose! 

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  34. HAHHAHAHAHHA! Thanks for the laugh, I needed that! 

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  35. Why not give Adam Morgan a run instead?

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  36. You would sign anyone who ever kicked a ball in his life  Jaimie XD

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  37.  damiao and jovetic way too expensive and de jong has recently moved to gladbach. huntelaar would be a good option though as the real finisher/poacher in the attack. the biggest worry is been able to get rid of the wasters of the last couple of years. who would want to pay the sort of money we need to get back for them? we need to sell cole, carroll, downing, adam, spearing, and maybe even henderson if we were to get that herrera guy anyway. we need another lb as cover, another winger, and at least one forward to replace carroll. also i hope suso will get a chance over henderson during the season.

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  38. Superb display against city today. Raheem was fearless and really gave the beast Toure a run for his money today!!! On today's display perhaps a ball playing CD might be in order because Skirtle's moment of madness was a heart breaker! I agree downing probably better of instead of enrique - lets face it thats the only way we are going to get some money's worth out of it.

    When you think we spent so much on Downing, Hendo, Adam and carrol last yr and chesea spent a similar amount on Hazard and Oscar - we all know who we would take. Surely KK and Commolli didnt deserve compensation for being sacked?

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  39. Owen? Really? In a team where we are going to be looking at injuries all season (the likes of Agger, Lucas, JC, and whoever else trips over!)? Don't get me wrong, I'll always love Mickey O, no matter who he plays for, but I don't think he is even a temporary solution. He just isnt the prolific, pacey, clinical forward he used to be.

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  40. If we were to sign a Marseille player, I'd rather it be Andre Ayew.

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  41. I couldn'ty agree more, i to would like to see Morgan play a bit more, shit i thought Sterling was fantastic he will be great or us we need to hold on to him, now lets see Morgan play a bit.
     

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  42. I was very happy watching the boys give a good perormance against the Champs, very proud to see them fight for it, feeling for Skyrtel though, i thought Coates played well Stevie was running about again with purpose, but imo Allen was man of the match he was everywhere looks like a good buy hope he can be consistant, Borini will come good looks very pasionate and hungry and as for the genius Suarez he is just class.
    I to would like to see some of the players move on maybe Adam, Spearing, Cole, Downing and Carroll (?) not 100% on Carroll yet might be good to get a bit of money because the others won't fetch much and lets give Sterling more games this season along with Morgan too (IMO). 

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  43. My choice will be Andrew Ayew not Remy, but anyway welcome back JK

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  44. There was no 50m loss. It was an accounting loss/write off.  No actual money went out of anyone's pocket!

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