Porto star Juan Iturbe - currently on loan at Serie A side Hellas Verona - has been linked with Liverpool many times over the last year, and with transfer season underway, it appears that the exciting Argentine attacker is definitely available this summer.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Hellas Verona's sporting director, Sean Sogliano, hailed 21-year old Iturbe as a 'special' player, but conceded that the coveted attacker will inevitably leave for a 'big club':
"If an offer that we consider fair arrives then he will leave.
"If that offer doesn't arrive then he will remain with us next season, but it is more likely to see him leave"
"He has shown great things and he is destined to have a great career."
The story so far:
Nov 2013: The Daily Express reports: "Liverpool are keen on signing [Iturbe] after his season-long loan in Serie A finishes in the summer"
Dec 2013: Portuguese newspaper A Bola claims that Liverpool are considering a €16m January bid for Iturbe.
Dec 2013: Verona boss Andrea Mandorlini hailed Iturbe's 'incredible quality', and outlined the attacker's strengths on the field. He told Tutto Mercato: "Iturbe [is] good enough for the big clubs. [He has] amazing quality and is a good guy. Iturbe's strengths are technical quality, impressive speed, and game intelligence. He's a great player"
Mar 2014: Sky Sports Italy journalist Gianluca Dimarzio claimed that lots of 'big European clubs' are watching €30m-rated Iturbe, but insisted that Liverpool 'want him the most'.
Mar 2014: In an interview with Tuttosport, Hellas Verona President Maurizio Setti enthused: “He [Iturbe] will certainly end up at a top club. We want to keep him, but no Italian club has the economic capacity to buy him. If a set of circumstances allowed for him to stay in Verona then it would be another dream come true"
Apr 2014: Italian newspaper Corriere Di Verona claimed that the Reds are still monitoring the Iturbe.
Apr 2014: When asked soon after about Liverpool's interest, Iturbe - nicknamed 'El Messi Paraguayo' as a result of his dual Paraguayan/Argentinian citizenship - told Sky Sports Italia: "Liverpool and italian clubs on me? I would like to stay in Italy for all my life. But let's see what will happen"
May 2014: Scouts from Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham watch Iturbe score in Verona's 3-3 draw with Lazio.
Iturbe's stats for the last three years:
2013-14: 6 goals/4 assist in 31 apps (so far)
2012-13: 3 goals/2 assists in 18 apps.
2011-12: 8 goals/4 assists in 33 apps.
At present, Coutinho, Henderson, and Sterling aside, Liverpool have no quality first-team attacking midfielders. Even if Suso returns, LFC still need (IMO) at least one or two more players capable of scoring/creating goals from midfield.
The likes of Pedro and Lallana are currently linked with moves to Anfield, and given past interest, it's likely that Iturbe is still on the club's transfer wish-list. €30m is just wishful-thinking in the extreme, but for a reasonable fee, is the Argentine a viable option?
Author: Jaimie K
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Hellas Verona's sporting director, Sean Sogliano, hailed 21-year old Iturbe as a 'special' player, but conceded that the coveted attacker will inevitably leave for a 'big club':
"If an offer that we consider fair arrives then he will leave.
"If that offer doesn't arrive then he will remain with us next season, but it is more likely to see him leave"
"He has shown great things and he is destined to have a great career."
The story so far:
Nov 2013: The Daily Express reports: "Liverpool are keen on signing [Iturbe] after his season-long loan in Serie A finishes in the summer"
Dec 2013: Portuguese newspaper A Bola claims that Liverpool are considering a €16m January bid for Iturbe.
Dec 2013: Verona boss Andrea Mandorlini hailed Iturbe's 'incredible quality', and outlined the attacker's strengths on the field. He told Tutto Mercato: "Iturbe [is] good enough for the big clubs. [He has] amazing quality and is a good guy. Iturbe's strengths are technical quality, impressive speed, and game intelligence. He's a great player"
Mar 2014: Sky Sports Italy journalist Gianluca Dimarzio claimed that lots of 'big European clubs' are watching €30m-rated Iturbe, but insisted that Liverpool 'want him the most'.
Mar 2014: In an interview with Tuttosport, Hellas Verona President Maurizio Setti enthused: “He [Iturbe] will certainly end up at a top club. We want to keep him, but no Italian club has the economic capacity to buy him. If a set of circumstances allowed for him to stay in Verona then it would be another dream come true"
Apr 2014: Italian newspaper Corriere Di Verona claimed that the Reds are still monitoring the Iturbe.
Apr 2014: When asked soon after about Liverpool's interest, Iturbe - nicknamed 'El Messi Paraguayo' as a result of his dual Paraguayan/Argentinian citizenship - told Sky Sports Italia: "Liverpool and italian clubs on me? I would like to stay in Italy for all my life. But let's see what will happen"
May 2014: Scouts from Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham watch Iturbe score in Verona's 3-3 draw with Lazio.
Iturbe's stats for the last three years:
2013-14: 6 goals/4 assist in 31 apps (so far)
2012-13: 3 goals/2 assists in 18 apps.
2011-12: 8 goals/4 assists in 33 apps.
At present, Coutinho, Henderson, and Sterling aside, Liverpool have no quality first-team attacking midfielders. Even if Suso returns, LFC still need (IMO) at least one or two more players capable of scoring/creating goals from midfield.
The likes of Pedro and Lallana are currently linked with moves to Anfield, and given past interest, it's likely that Iturbe is still on the club's transfer wish-list. €30m is just wishful-thinking in the extreme, but for a reasonable fee, is the Argentine a viable option?
Author: Jaimie K
Hopefully not, I can't see the hype around this boy ... Don't really rate him
ReplyDelete30 million my arse. Wishful thinking indeed. Rather have shaquiri over this guy
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope LFC think so because he was number 3 on my list of signings this summer. €30m is definately over the mark but i'd much rather see that Lallana money spent on Iturbe.
ReplyDeleteI want Markovic. He is the future star striker.
ReplyDeleteRemember when we were all about defense or better box to box guys? What are we thinking these days.
ReplyDeleteyes Markovic and Iturbe are the one who think can improve Liverpool's starting 11 unlike Shaqiri.
ReplyDeleteAnother day, more rumors. We should have a seventy man squad worth 2 trillion dollars!
ReplyDeleteAgree and Shaqiri has CL experience too. Really hope we are going to make a bid for him.
ReplyDeleteShaqiri, Moreno and Fabragas would complete a great window for me.
ReplyDelete2 extra cheap deals for Remy and Caulker (both reportedly available for around 8 million) would top it off nicely too