In February, reports in Italy and France, claimed that Brendan Rodgers had his eye on Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez as a possible replacement for Reds star Luis Suarez. The Chilean international is out of favour at the Nou Camp right now, but his struggle for form has not dented his self-confidence in any way.
On Monday night, Reporters quizzed Sanchez about his recent loss of form, and his future at Barcelona, and the Chilean - who was criticised for a below-par performance against Peru - hit back with a statement of supreme confidence in his own ability:
"I know what sort of player I am. I know that I'm a great player who can win you games.
"Even if I don't score, I'll still believe I'm one of the best in the world.
"I feel I have an important role for the national team and for Barcelona, where I'm happy"
In December 2012, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo claimed that Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers had 'ordered his scouts' to 'collect information' about Sanchez, who recently acknowledged his problems in front of goal. he told Marca:
"The fact that I can't score makes me nervous. At any rate, the hard thing is to create chances, and this is something I'm doing."
Liverpool were linked with Sánchez in the run up to the 2011 summer transfer window, and around that time, Udinese Chairman Franco Soldati made the following statement:
“Sánchez of interest to both English and Italian teams. A team has already offered a figure close to 30-35 million euros but I cannot say where it came from"
It was speculated that Liverpool had made the bid, and considering the club went on to spend over £50m during the catastrophic summer of 2011, it's definitely possible.
Barcelona signed Sánchez - nicknamed 'El Niño Maravilla' (The Wonder Boy) - for €26m 2011, but despite his struggles in front of goal, Barcelona caretaker boss Jordi Roura insists the club is happy with Sanchez. He told Fox Sports recently:
"We are very pleased with the work and his attitude. He's been a bit unlucky and I'm sure he will go on to score goals, and that will give him a lot of confidence"
Clearly, Sanchez wants to stay at Barcelona, but it may be out of his hands. Earlier this month, La Gazetta dello Sport reported that Inter Milan negotiating a summer move for Sanchez, but the player's comments on Monday seem to suggest that's wide of the mark.
Is Sanchez as good as he thinks he is? Is he 'one of the best in the world'? His self-confidence is a plus-point though. The Chilean is under intense pressure at Barca, and he's dealing with the added burden of having to live up to a €26m price-tag, so it would be easy for him to buckle under the spotlight.
Mental strength, especially in adversity, is essential for players who want to make it at the very top, and Sanchez appears to have that in spades, which bodes well if he ever ends up at Liverpool.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
On Monday night, Reporters quizzed Sanchez about his recent loss of form, and his future at Barcelona, and the Chilean - who was criticised for a below-par performance against Peru - hit back with a statement of supreme confidence in his own ability:
"I know what sort of player I am. I know that I'm a great player who can win you games.
"Even if I don't score, I'll still believe I'm one of the best in the world.
"I feel I have an important role for the national team and for Barcelona, where I'm happy"
In December 2012, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo claimed that Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers had 'ordered his scouts' to 'collect information' about Sanchez, who recently acknowledged his problems in front of goal. he told Marca:
"The fact that I can't score makes me nervous. At any rate, the hard thing is to create chances, and this is something I'm doing."
Liverpool were linked with Sánchez in the run up to the 2011 summer transfer window, and around that time, Udinese Chairman Franco Soldati made the following statement:
“Sánchez of interest to both English and Italian teams. A team has already offered a figure close to 30-35 million euros but I cannot say where it came from"
It was speculated that Liverpool had made the bid, and considering the club went on to spend over £50m during the catastrophic summer of 2011, it's definitely possible.
Barcelona signed Sánchez - nicknamed 'El Niño Maravilla' (The Wonder Boy) - for €26m 2011, but despite his struggles in front of goal, Barcelona caretaker boss Jordi Roura insists the club is happy with Sanchez. He told Fox Sports recently:
"We are very pleased with the work and his attitude. He's been a bit unlucky and I'm sure he will go on to score goals, and that will give him a lot of confidence"
Clearly, Sanchez wants to stay at Barcelona, but it may be out of his hands. Earlier this month, La Gazetta dello Sport reported that Inter Milan negotiating a summer move for Sanchez, but the player's comments on Monday seem to suggest that's wide of the mark.
Is Sanchez as good as he thinks he is? Is he 'one of the best in the world'? His self-confidence is a plus-point though. The Chilean is under intense pressure at Barca, and he's dealing with the added burden of having to live up to a €26m price-tag, so it would be easy for him to buckle under the spotlight.
Mental strength, especially in adversity, is essential for players who want to make it at the very top, and Sanchez appears to have that in spades, which bodes well if he ever ends up at Liverpool.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
