13 Sept 2012

'He's just like Steven Gerrard' - Macia hails £20m LFC target. Pipe dream...?

In his new book 'Champions League Dreams', former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez claims that George Gillett Tom Hicks blocked him from signing Montengrin striker Stevan Jovetic in the summer of 2009. Since that time, the Reds have been constantly linked with a move for the Fiorentina striker, and according to Viola Sports Chief Eduardo Macia, Jovetic has a lot in common with one of the club's best players.

In an interview yesterday, Macia - who worked as Chief Scout at Liverpool between 2006 and 2010 - conceded that keeping 20m-rated Jovetic at Fiorentina would be 'very difficult', and hailed the striker's massive influence on the club:

"Jovetic? He is a fantastic player, who eventually will play for another club.To us his contribution on the field is similar to that of Steven Gerrard at Liverpool.

"This summer we decided that Jovetic was not to be put on the market and he understood this perfectly, despite the offer of Juventus."


Given the fact he worked at Liverpool, Macia will have seen Gerrard's huge impact on the team first-hand, and if Jovetic is having a similar influence on his club, then Fiorentina clearly have a very special player on their hands.

In an interview, earlier in the week, Viola general manager Sandro Mencucci confirmed that Jovetic would leave at the end of this season. He said:

"He [Jovetic] will leave, but the club has worked out a deal: Stay another year so we can plan for your departure at the end of the season"

After the transfer spending debacle overseen by Kennian Comoglish, FSG have rightly tightened the transfer purse strings recently. However, as the 15m signing of Joe Allen proves, the group is still willing to splash the cash for the right player, and Jovetic definitely fits the profile.

Alas, it seem that Juventus are in pole position to sign Jovetic, who told La Gazetto dello Sport:

"I have to admit that Juventus tried hard to sign me. That made me think, but that's only normal. The chance to play in the Champions League, to play a key role in a project, the entire atmosphere at the club. It's true that the president convinced me to stay here, but talks were always positive"

Juventus will inevitably return next summer and try again, and if Liverpool fail to finish in the Champions League places, it seems likely - given Jovetic's comments - that he will choose Juve over the Reds.

Jaimie Kanwar


7 comments:

  1. With City in for him also, we have very little chance of getting him. Pity coz he is awesome, a game winner.

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  2. I heard LFC or Boston Red Sox are up for sale. Anyone here gonna buy em?

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  3. Kennan comoglish? Is that yor attempt at humour Jamie? Yor mrs must be well happy as yor so funny.give it up

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  4. JK is correct anyone who thinks that Dalglish's spending was anything but comical needs there head checking.

    Don't confuse Dalglish's first stint with what he did the second time.

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  5. We need champions league status, and I can`t see that happening this season unfortunately.

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  6. dalglish bought very badly but his team played decent footy just couldnt score brendons team are the same

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