16 Aug 2013

'He'll be a champion' - £18m attacking 'phenomenon' wants 'bigger club' move. LFC...?

Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato recently claimed that LFC scouts watched Reds target Luis Muriel in action in Udinese's Europa League Qualifying game againts Siroki Brijegin. Liverpool continue to be linked with a move for the Colombian striker, but based on Muriel's latest comments, it seems that the 22-year old may ultimately choose to stay in Italy for another year.

Last week, Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato reported:

"Scouts from Liverpool and Barcelona were in attendance last night [8th August 2013] to watch Muriel against Siroki Brijegin".

When quizzed about LFC's interest after Colombia's 1-0 victory against Serbia on Wednesday, Muriel appeared open to a move away at some point, but suggested that he may stay for another year. He told Eldeportivo:

"The Pozzo family supported me and wants me to have another year in Udine. This is what they told me. The idea is to grow, and in the future to go to a bigger club" .

Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo does not want to sell Muriel, however, and in a recent interview, he explained:

“He is still young, and he still has to get more experience in Udine. We want to keep him here for a long time, but if the circumstances don’t allow for it, we won’t keep anyone against their will. If someone doesn’t want to stay we will do a deal"

Manchester United are also £18m-rated Muriel, but Pozzo insists that the striker is worth much more than that. He told reporters recently:

"He [Muriel] has a price. I don’t put clauses in contracts but €20m euro for a striker of great worth is nothing. For [Edinson] Cavani the price is 60m euro"

Muriel's strike partner, Antonio Di Natale is certainly a big fan of the Colombian, and when asked about Muriel's qualities in June, he told FIFA.com:

“Make a note of the name Luis Muriel. He’s got all the qualities needed to become a phenomenon, and in a few years Luis will be a great champion.”

Udinese boss Francesco Guidolin has a more pragmatic view of Muriel, and in May, he told reporters:

“Di Natale is a absolute champion, whilst Muriel is an apprentice who can do great things if he continues in his process of growth. Muriel still has to grow and has a great sense of goals, and is a good centre forward.”

Despite being almost 23, Muriel is a comparative novice when it comes to top-flight experience:

* Career total of 58 appearances so far.
* Averages 19 appearances per season.
* 18 goals/8 assists in 58 apps.
* Goal every 3.2 apps.
* goal/assist every 2.2 games.

Muriel's stats are creditable, but they're not outstanding. Worth a bid to test Udinese's resolve...?





NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)


84 comments:

  1. liverpool4life5651:17 pm, August 16, 2013

    Don't trust the owner, doesn't this guy own Granada and Watford? but excellent player

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  2. Crazy Legs Djimi1:32 pm, August 16, 2013

    Good prospect, with potentional for vast improvement... Only concern is he looks like the body type of Adriano and original Ronaldo.. Looks like he puts on weight too quick.. When he's 28yr old, looks like he'll waddle around the pitch like a fat girl in stilettoes.

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  3. Would be an ideal long term replacement for Suarez, hope we do sign players that we're being linked in the end now.

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  4. COLOMBIA is stacked with attacking options.They would be my dark horse for the World Cup next year.LUIS MURIEL has loads of potential and if he works hard at improving his game he should go on to be a superstar.

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  5. original ronaldo was a hell of a player if hes anywhere near that grab him

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  6. I'd rather get Williian. Suarez stays for now, if we are close to top 4 Jan will be better for us to get a striker. If we are not good enough, the Muriel won't make the difference. Willian might.

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  7. i thought belgium was supposed to be the dark horse

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  8. its 30 mils too plenty for "might", mate

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  9. liverpool4life5652:43 pm, August 16, 2013

    So falcao been transfer listed by Monaco....

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  10. I'm pretty sure that he hasn't

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  11. quick lets sign him

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  12. good prospect but not worth a gamble at that price we cannot afford it

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  13. Sorry bro - the cup is destined for Uruguay. But maybe we'll see Colombia in the final ;)

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  14. good prospect but the role he plays is very similar to suarez and tino sort of in the hole..you can also throw aspas and alberto in as well ...

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  15. liverpool4life5653:46 pm, August 16, 2013

    Google it, marca ran the story :)

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  16. it would have to be a big hole,i just hope rodgers sees sence and dose not start with allen tomorrow so that coutinho can play were he dose more damage

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  17. Your negativity towards Allen and Rodgers is becoming boring now mate.


    Care to try be negative about something else for a change?

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  18. hows it negative where would you rather coutiho play in the center were he can do more damage or stuck out on the left,and i am not now and never will be your mate

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  19. Couthino can do damage anywhere in attack.

    What do you contribute to this site other than being negative towards Rodgers, Allen and FSG?

    Exactly.

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  20. Wow just read it Falco will be up for sale ! So Anzhi and Monaco FIRE SALE ! apparently Monaco footballers will have to pay tax after being signed thinking they wouldnt have to. So all the top signings are off ..... this does of course mean they are all mercenaries so maybe we dont want them but any chance of swappsies

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  21. glad to see suarez back training for the squad ,thanks for the apoligy ,it was heart warming

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  22. I bet he sent you a personal apology?


    He can go and you know what.

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  23. these south Americans really need to lawyer up...why would you think you dont need to pay tax

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  24. he his better central ,if allen starts he plays out left if henderson starts he plays central,and like i have said before max if you do not like it do not read it,and especially do not reply to it,what do you contribute m8 apart from your bullying ways ,how many poster have you fell out with,you really do think your something

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  25. because monacos a tax haven ,serves them right

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  26. Look who is talking.


    Fact is that all your post contain something that either runs dow FSG, Rodgers and Allen.

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  27. no he did not send me a apology but then again i never demanded one

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  28. bye bye max go play with someone else

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  29. Truth hurts doesn't it?


    Even Jaimie had to warn you today about your constant moaning/negativity towards FSG, Rodgers and Allen yet you still continue?

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  30. good luck i will be keeping an eye on them as long as my favourite player is still at the club ,saying that i would watch him anyway because hes the type of player(on the pitch)that makes you fall in love with football in the first place

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  31. Well nobody would expect you to ;-)

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  32. liverpool4life5654:12 pm, August 16, 2013

    Where did you get that from "can not afford it"?

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  33. we have not got 20millionto spend on a prospect,do you not agree,you said we had about 20million to spend on transfers would you be happy to spend it on a prospect ,imo i would be wanting a proven player for twenty million,if money was not an issue fine fair enough sign away,but i doubt we have that kind of money spare

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  34. i bet it was an interesting conversation....pity hes missing for the stoke game ...i hate playing teams with ex players in it they always seem to score against us or it appears that way ...you just know the writing is on the wall for adam to cross and crouch to score

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  35. greedy twats not as if they don't get paid enough....but hey ho thats just the modern footballer

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  36. He is going to be missing for the next six games remember. It is all LFC's fault and he will still jump at the opportunity to leave if Arsenal make another bid.


    My, my.

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  37. agreed m8 as much as people want to believe it we haven't got that kind of money to throw around on potential...hes 23 and only played about 60 games

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  38. its always the same m8 they come back to haunt us either that or the keeper as an absolute blinder,heres hoping for 3 points tomorrow

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  39. i just hope we don't monopolize possession for 60mins without shooting then they have a punt on goal and score..its a f*cking sickner when that happens

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  40. possession dose not get us point goals do,i would rather have 20%possesession and 3 points that 65% and 1or no points

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  41. Please read SITE UPDATE: 26 JULY 2013


    Txt spk and excessive swearing are outlawed. Please use proper sentences to convey your point.

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  42. Don't worry, he'll come back and break the Crystal Palace with 5 goals, then lead the scoring charts.
    Heard it here first.

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  43. I think FSG cannot wait to get rid of Suarez. The damage he has caused LFC has to be repaired and the only way that is going to be accomplished is by getting rid of him.


    Do not be fooled about Henry saying Suarez is not for sale. If the right offer comes in Suarez will be off.


    Watch this space.

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  44. When are people going to give over with this 'mercenary' nonsense??


    They're PROFESSIONAL footballers, i.e. they're profession is to play football for a living, not as a hobby like the rest of us Sunday league amateurs and armchair fans. Seeking the best livelihood for themselves makes them no more mercenaries than you or I when we seek new jobs when the time is right

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  45. Playing an excessive number of games at a young age isn't always such a great thing imo - some players mature at different ages, or just have to wait longer for their opportunities to come good.


    I've no issue with a kid only having 60 games at 23 y/o.

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  46. i cant speak for anyone else but most of my actions in life are not money motivated and that includes my job...once you start going into the hundreds of thousands a week with all your freebies and sponsorship threw in just how much do you need

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  47. liverpool4life5655:01 pm, August 16, 2013

    As you said,he young with potential, FSG would finance that.

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  48. It's a MARCA story, so most probably not true. Nothing in the French Press on this.
    Just sour grapes that they don't have the same Tax rules, thus giving them an unfair advantage. Last I checked though, FA's don't have the right to impose taxes on people - goverments do.
    Though I heard a few month ago that Monacco could be signing some top players to then loan them out at a premium - something about making tax free wages while player for other teams.

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  49. Put it this way, think of how an extra million or two might influence your thinking - on the other hand how areadly having millions might influence your staying somewhere. It's high stakes, would I be prepared to look like an idiot in front of the whole world to make a few mil - absolutely.
    Would I be I leave somewhere where I was unahppy if I were already a millionaire, even if it meant looking like an idiot to the whole world - Absolutely.
    Perspective. Money isn't everything, but having it in abundance definitely changes your thinking.

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  50. They probably don't, otherwise they would have relished the 17m profit offered on him already.
    The only damage done is not turning things around soon - Liverpool haven't given much else to talk about, except for Suarez. Coutinho and Sturridge have been drawing attention - if the team starts winning, all "damage" as you say will be undone.

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  51. £ 20 mils on a prospect that's very unlike FSG m8

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  52. Four tough games left in qualifying, but it can be done.

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  53. Suarez is not going to change. trouble will follow him wherever he goes.


    Prove me wrong.

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  54. trouble's his middle name

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  55. Yip. he is toxic. We do not need him and I will be proven right.

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  56. sadly we do need him ,i heard they say ur always right m8 ;)

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  57. that would be heartbreaking

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  58. We will see who needs who.


    He needs LFC more than what LFC need him.

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  59. not so sure about that either

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  60. I doubt he will change - wouldn't really want him to change (much).
    The dude plays with a level of intensity unrivalled by anyone - on the pitch he lives and breathes football.
    What I hope changes is his surroundings, that is the quality of players around him, the level of pressure put on him, press, his agent, ect.
    Basically he's like a machine going full tilt all the time - if it's not properly lubricated, or has a wrench thrown in, it will blow. I think at this stage, there has been some fine tuning, and hopefully his check engine light will come on before he blows - but I don't want to see that intensity slow down.
    By this stage he's probably developed enough emotional inteligence, and has the previous experience to get a feel for when things might go wrong - I think we will see Luis Suarez 2.0 this season - beware.

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  61. liverpool4life5655:42 pm, August 16, 2013

    We paid 15 million for J Allen when he was 22... This guys price is 18 million only 3 mil more

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  62. Why has nobody else but Arsenal made an effort to sign him?

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  63. He has been a mercenary since his Groningen days and has proven it over and over again..


    He can go cause trouble elsewhere than you very much.

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  64. In that case he needs us more than what we need him.


    Who is holding the winning hand here?

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  65. I'd call it moving up the ranks. Should he still be playing at Groningen or Ajax? He moved up. And wanted to move up again. Liverpool are upping their game, he's accepted the situation (it seems), leave it at that.
    Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher have stayed as they have a strong affinity for the club and city - it's their home. It is much harder for a foreigner to do this - so please cut the "mercenary" thing - it's irrelevant in the year 2013.

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  66. who's got the kind of money that Liverpool is asking for ? Arsenal

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  67. BR knows JA inside out ,moreover h's British we always overpay for local talent remember

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  68. Who cares? Besides you of course. Who really cares?

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  69. He never once chanced a transfer request. Loyalty bonus would have paid him out millions.

    He is nothing but a mercenary.

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  70. Point is no other club wants to sign him. I was under the impression that one of the best players in the world would have attracted big money bids from all over the show.


    Seems like Arsenal are the only club crazy enough to sign a player who only spells trouble?

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  71. You constantly make these absolute assertions like 'we cannot afford it'. How do you know? What possible evidence do you have for that?

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  72. I think you might need a snickers. We can disagree on the Suarzmeister - but there are other points being made that you might want to look at - rather than just troll the Suarez side of things.

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  73. So I am trolling against Suarez?


    What do you not understand about me not wanting him at the club?

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  74. Well yes, you are. I do to a bit, but at least I try to add input on otherthings. This response maybe should have gone in the other thread - eitherway, there are non-suarez things being discussed, you ignore those and focus on Suarez. We've got it already - you want him out. Now what about everything else?

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  75. You will find that I am a pretty positive person.


    Click on my profile and have a look.


    Suarez can go and fly.

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  76. if we cannot spend 20 million on a proven player what hopes have we on potential

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  77. no the truth dose not hurt at all the fact jaimie deletes every comment to you but still lets yours go live says it all ,you are a -----

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  78. infact you and jaimie are the same

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  79. liverpool4life5659:28 pm, August 16, 2013

    Wilian is now following Lucas and coutinho. Hopefully some good news soon, this happen last time with Lucas and coutinho ;-)

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  80. Yeah, I noticed that. Could be a good omen :-)

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  81. Its on the BBC gossip page and in the Express not sure why its not a bigger story ! but if its true Wenger must be thanking his lucky stars.

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