21 Feb 2014

Anfield-bound? LFC chase 'interesting' striker who broke Arjen Robben's goal-record.

Last year, FC Groningen director Hans Nijland confirmed Liverpool FC's interest in 17-year old prodigy Richairo Zivkovic (the youngest player to ever feature for the Dutch club's first team), and reports this week suggest that the Reds are still monitoring the promising attacker.

Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato reports today that both Liverpool and Ajax are tracking Zivkovic, who has been watched many times by Liverpool's scouts.

In August, Nijland calimed that the Reds' interest in the Dutch-Serbian attacker - predictably dubbed 'the new ­Arjen Robben' - is real. He told reporters:

“All the top clubs in Holland want him but Liverpool are here every week too. They [LFC] are watching him closely and very keen"

His agent, Daan Kramp, has also confirmed interest from other clubs:

"Richairo develops rapidly. It is not surprising that several clubs in Holland and abroad have serious interest in this talent".

Some info about Zivkovic:

* 2013: Broke ­Arjen Robben’s record as the youngest player ever to score for Groningen.
* 2012: Grabbed 22 goals for the Dutch club's U17 side.
* Last season: Scored 2 goals in 3 games for Groningen's first team
* This season: 5 goals in 19 games so far, which is impressive for a 17 year old.

As a comparison, I'm sure that if Jerome Sinclair - also 17 - scored 5 in 19 for Liverpool, the club's fans would be raving about him.

After signing a three year deal with Groningen in 2012, Zivkovic enthused:

"I am very pleased with the confidence that speaks from this contract. I want to develop as a player and as a person, and it's up to me to keep working hard and developing myself in order to become a regular player of the first team".

Ajax boss Frank De Boer has openly announced his interest in Zivkovic. Last night, he told Voetbal International:

"Zivkovic is an interesting player that we are indeed following. During the Eredivisie you see a handful of players emerge and Zivkovic is one of them."

Worth a bid...?



Author:


16 comments:

  1. Why are Ian Ayre waiting....??

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  2. No point in getting excited even if we are interested.

    He is 17 and there is no chance of this player dethroning Suarez or Sturridge. This kid probably won't even make the bench in his first season.



    In fact, any other striker we sign is going to have a tough time keeping Suarez or Sturridge out of the starting eleven i.e Aspas unless we sign someone like Diego Costa but then Sterling might have to make way.

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  3. Looks like a decent size lad for his age and the stats look good. if we were to go in for him perhaps best to leave him there for a while to develop.

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  4. I hate to derail this discussion but did anyone see that Swansea result last night coming? Napoli had one shot on target and 31% possession. I was stunned by that tbh. Perhaps shows the prem isn't as weak as some have been saying. Me included.

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  5. We need mid-fielders...not 17 year-old strikers. We already have 17 year-old strikers.

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  6. Just saw that Ibe has been loaned to B'ham for the rest of the season...hmmm.

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  7. Don't know anything about him, but clearly a signing for the academy, who won't be seen for a couple of year if ever again. But we do need to keep the young blood flowing through, even if only 25% of them go on to have footballing careers, it generates money for the club and produces the odd gem for the team.
    On that note I see Ibe is off to Birmingham until the summer, I think he'll definitely be getting game there, and hope he bags a few goals and does well.

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  8. If we get CL we are going to need 3 world class strikers though. If we sign someone of Costas calibre i can't see it impacting too much on the game time of Sturridge or Suarez with the extra games we will be playing.

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  9. sorry to derail but hahaha
    fat boy rooney is to sign a 5 year 300k per week deal. This boy is going to plump up. He has no idea what its like to enter late 20s and early 30s-when your metabolism slows down. No more caramel popcorn, ding dongs. This guys gonna be next Jan M. I suspect they are going to drop him into midfield alla P Scholes role.

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  10. You're right of course about needing a midfielder, but i wouldn't take it just because we are linked with a 17 year old we are not looking at other first team targets. Its not like our entire scouting network is over looking at this guy. We will always be linked with academy players no matter whats going on in the first team. Its a conveyor belt.

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  11. Ha ha, caramel popcorn and ding dongs! Great post :)

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  12. Juventus doesn't have 3 world class strikers. Atletico doesn't. Bayern doesn't. What the really tough teams have are a couple of good strikers and a whole lot of good mid-fielders.

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  13. True they don't. But Bayern look like they are adding Lewandowski to Mandzukic and Muller.
    I don't think it's a negative to have three top strikers, the opposite in my opinion. There are plenty of games in a season with CL to have healthy competition without breeding discontent. If Sturridge gets injured, or Suarez, do we have a player to slot in at CL level, considering we play both players every game as it is?

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  14. Muller isn't a striker

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  15. Yeah no one can agree on that. In my opinion he is.

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  16. Yea he's played there a few times and certainly scores enough goals but I think he would describe himself as a midfielder. They've been playing gotze as a false 9 this season as well. They've got so many options, I'm so jealous when I look at their squad

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