15 Oct 2013

Transfer Surprise: €8m LFC star set for shock exit in January. Poor planning...?

La Liga giants Valencia are considering making a January transfer move for new Liverpool signing Tiago Ilori.

According to Portuguese newspaper Super Deporte:

"Valencia are looking for a central defender and Tiago Ilori is being considered.

"The Portuguese Under-21 international has been observed by officials of the Spanish club.

"All indications point to Valencia making an offer during the January transfer window"


Ilori signed for the Reds in an €8m deal on September 2nd, and it would certainly be a major shock if he ended up leaving the club a mere four months later (!)

Such a move would be unprecedented, and I can't think of many top-flight clubs who've sold summer signings after such a short space of time. In my view, the purchase of Ilori could be viewed as a mistake:

* With Skrtel, Sakho, Agger and Toure vying for places, it will be a miracle if Ilori gets any significant game-time this season, especially with the reduced number of games this season.

* Despite rampant speculation, it seems unlikely that either Skrtel or Agger will leave during the January transfer window.

* If Ilori spends the bulk of this season on the bench, or in the reserves, his personal development will (arguably) be stunted.

* Competition in the squad is great, but fighting against FOUR established centre-backs is unhealthy competition.

* Did Liverpool really need to buy Ilori over the summer? Was it an essential purchase?

Valencia may be interested, and may even put in a bid, but I sincerely doubt that Liverpool will sell, but could a loan deal be a serious possibility?

Going out on loan is the only way Ilori will get regular game-time this season, and it would be good for the young defender's development, though if that happens, it will (IMO) be a tacit admission of poor-planning on LFC's part.

I sincerely doubt that Ilori came to Anfield expecting to be shunted out on loan four months after signing.



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26 comments:

  1. On the other hand, it could be argued that he's done so well for the reserves that it's a reward for him to be loaned out to a primera division club to get some more experience. The one big manco I can see with this though is that he may not get too much time on the pitch at Valencia. If that's the case, he can learn just as much by sitting on the bench at Anfield and training with the first team than he can at Valencia. Probably even more because it's Liverpool and the Premiership he should be groomed for. So at the very least, a loan should include a callback clause we can trigger if he doesn't get enough games.

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  2. If he's not offered the game time by January and Valencia do come in, I'd have to say we should offer him to them on loan.. My major concern is we'll see him stagnate in the same manner as Coates has. I'd be disappointed, but if he can go to one of the top leagues in Europe and get some game time under his belt, he'd probably be better for it.

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  3. liverpool4life5652:59 pm, October 15, 2013

    "Sold" think you mean loan, get him experience

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  4. He ain't being sold in January mate, not a chance. Loan? Yes, he might go to some other club for game time and experience which a lot of youngsters of ours should need.

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  5. Like Rodgers said - if you get a chance to sign quality centre backs you just do it. Ilori probably won't get much of a look at game time this season so a loan in January would not be an issue. I certainly wouldn't call it poor planning. Ultimately what we want is to have a deep squad and a good mix of youth and experience.

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  6. I think the decision should be left on illori if he wants more playing time then valencia if he is willing to stay then well....... but we should absolutely make sure valencia will give him playing time like almeria provide suso..... we don't want another texeria situation on our hands

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  7. "In my view, the purchase of Llori could be viewed as a mistake:"
    Insurance always looks like a mistake in hindsight. The hindsight period doesn't end until the January window. If Agger and/or Skrtel leave in January, Llori's signing will look like a stroke of genius. If Agger/Skrtel stay maybe BR sells Llori for a profit...or sends him out on loan, then it still looks like a bargain. Who knows...maybe with Llori being as good as hoped, then perhaps its wise to let either Skertl or Agger go...whichever brings in the most revenue. I don't see a down side to any of this.

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  8. a loan move to valencia

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  9. On 18 January 2013, Forren signed for English Premier League side Southampton on a three-and a half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.His first game was for the club's under-21 side on 4 March against Liverpool, when he scored the opening goal for the Saints in the 30th minute with a volley. During his whole time at the club, Forren did not make an appearance for the Southampton first team.

    Return to Molde

    Rumoured to make a return move back to Molde, Forren insisted he wanted to stay at Southampton to fight for his place. However, Forren left Southampton to return to Molde for an undisclosed fee.



    I remember Jaimie thrashing Liverpool when Southampton signed Forren, stating Forren chose Saints over us, haha.

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  10. When BR signed Ilori, he said "He is one for the future." So if he goes out on loan to develop further, this would be fine in my view an not bad planning, as the article suggests. What is clear is that BR has a plan which involves building and maintain a team for now and also the future and Ilori fits into the future team structure.

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  11. I can see what Jaimie is on about re signing Ilori when we had so many options but he is clearly seen as a player for the future. With Toure at 32, Agger 28 and Skirtle 28 by the time Ilori is Sakho's age how many of those players will still be at Liverpool? If we were to keep hold of Agger and Skirtle that long both will be 31, whilst Sakho will be in his prime and Ilori will be at what seems to be a professional sweet spot that is 23. How old is Sturridge? How old was Suarez when we signed him? I imagine despite not getting a lot of game time this season (but which could still happen when the FA cup starts) there may be many many games next season especially if we get CL participation. If we are going to continue with 3 at the back then Ilori is even more needed as Agger falling foul of his previous fragility, Toure succumbing to his age and Skirtle dipping in form as we have seen then having that extra player could be needed.


    The question of whether the personal development will be stunted is a difficult one though. To what extent will one season affect this. The truth is that the under 21 level is far worse than premier league level and if it is not challenging how will this affect the player is somewhat concerning. But we can hope that those professional coaches know best.


    For me buying him was essential if they believed that within a year he would be more expensive or have far more admirers and we were sure that he has the qualities we want. Arsenal have done well in the past at getting plenty of young players and gradually bringing them through to first team. Of course there will be plenty who don't make it but this proactive stance is what we need to do. We know we cannot compete with big money so buying young and developing players can be what strengthens this club in the long run. Or at least as a theory it is one I agree with.

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  12. I think that no-one expected either Skrtel or Toure to do so well! This may be a tough year for Ilori but I cant see both Skrtel and Toure at Liverpool next year. One of them is likely to leave.

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  13. Something you have to bear in mind is that if we are going forward with the 3-5-2, you're going to need more than 4 defenders. You have 4 decent defenders if you're playing with 2 centre backs in a 4-4-2 or whatever but you need 5 decent ones if you've got 3 at the back.

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  14. Valencia would like him? So what? They can't have him.
    Poor planning?
    No, just a poor summation of the situation.

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  15. Not a mistake. There is down side to having the options this potential scenario presents.

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  16. We chased this guy for about a year, and eventually got him, after many bids and negotiating, he may go on loan, but he is definitely well thought of at Anfield. No way will he be sold.

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  17. U said with our 4 cbs he could find it really hard getting playing time. We play with 3 on a match day so it just takes 1 to get injured and he be on the bench. And u think it's a mistake signing him? He's 1 of the most sought after players in the world with so much potential. Sometimes I think u have a wee bit 2 much 2 drink b4 writing about Lpool or ur a man u fan playing with our minds. ;-)

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  18. Noooo. Good planning!!! And a great story too!!!!

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  19. What are you talking about? Somebody take this manc's keyboard off him.

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  20. I think BR might have happened upon a short term solution to gt the best out of underperforming players, threaten to sell them, worked for a while with Downing and seems to be working for Skrtel. This has been mentioned before, but with Ilori being, I believe, more of a ball playing, moile central defender, might he be able, in one or two games perhaps, to deputise at defensive midfield? I also think Sakho could play there, but with the return of Allen and the emergence of Henderson, perhaps we'll have the cover we need, at least till January.

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  21. BR!

    Please try Ilori at midfield!!!!,!,

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  22. True that. A lot of people, myself included, seem to have underestimated Skrtel

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  23. They want him on loan...

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  24. I think a loan would be perfectly logical, but only if its to a prem. club. You need to teach the boy what english football is all about and he cant do that in another league, no matter how good it is. Also, he's young, moving to england must of been a big trauma for him, he needs to settle here.

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  25. No poor planning at all, what you are not saying or deliberately lying about is that Adil Rami is set to leave this summer, so Ilori will get that game time and remember Skrtel was dead set to move to Napoli and he wasn't great shakes until that Utd game, so no story here, no poor planning

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  26. Furthermore, I have checked the Derby site and if we were to go chasing a Derby mid-fielder, then why not Craig Bryson instead? He's 26, but this year...as a CM he has scored 6 and also has 6 assists...where as WH has 2 and 2.

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