Next Stop LFC? BR to make €23m bid for 'phenomenal' striker hailed by Maradona

With Daniel Sturridge injured, Rickie Lambert firing blanks, and only two weeks until the new season starts, time is running out for Liverpool to sign a top-class striker, but new reports suggest that the Reds have a new target in mind as a potential replacement for Luis Suarez.

According to The Independent, Brendan Rodgers is planning a €23m bid for Argentina striker Ezequiel Lavezzi, whose place will be under threat if PSG's proposed deal for Angel Di Maria goes through.

Liverpool's interest in Lavezzi is well documented. In 2009, Rafa Benitez tried to sign him as a partner for Fernando Torres, and this was confirmed by Alejandro Mazzoni, Lavezzi's Agent, who told The Telegraph:

"I reiterate that a Fifa agent presented Napoli with an offer from Liverpool for Lavezzi. This was a formal procedure as the player cannot be contacted directly because he is under contract with Napoli"

Then, in 2012, South America football expert Jose Alberti made the bold claim that Lavezzi would 'definitely leave Naples at the end of the season' and that he would 'move to England and sign for Liverpool".

Given the Reds' previous interested under Benitez, it's possible that the club pursued Lavezzi a second time, but the deal obviously didn't happen, and he ended up at PSG instead.

It's easy to see Lavezzi's appeal to Rodgers:

* Versatile, and can play as striker, or out wide.
* Works very hard on the field, and is good defensively.
* Has pace, which is always a plus for any attacking player.

In June, Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella hailed Lavezzi's positive influence on his squad. He enthused:

"Players like Lavezzi are always very positive, because they keep players happy. They keep a nice atmosphere in the group. And Lavezzi is a great player. He hasn't been in the starting line-up but he never makes negative comments, he never makes faces, and he is always supporting the team."

Lavezzi sounds like the archetypal Rodgers player, and his qualities are exactly what the manager seeks in new players. The downside is that he will be 30 on his next birthday, and €23m is a lot of money to pay for a player entering his 30s.

Still, Lavezzi's creative stats for PSG are creditable, especially given the fact he rarely gets to play as a central striker due to the presence of Ibrahimovic and Cavani:

* 23 goals/18 assists in 90 appearances,
* Goal every 3.9 games.
* Goal/assist every 2.1 games.

The Argentine's appearance record is also impressive, and - importantly - he rarely gets injured:

* 278 appearances in the last 7 years.
* Averages 40 games a season.
* Missed only 12 games through injury in the last 10 years.

With Sturridge increasingly injury prone, having another striker who seemingly impervious to injury is a priority for Liverpool, and Lavezzi certainly fits the bill.

Argentina legend Diego Maradona is big fan, and he's praised Lavezzi many times, most recently sfter the World Cup final against Germany, when he raved:

“I don’t understand the substitution of Lavezzi. He was phenomenal down the wing. Kun Aguero didn’t have the same impact. It was not his [Aguero's] tournament.”

Lavezzi is often compared to Maradona, but the attacker dismisses the comparison as 'something for journalists'. Last season, he told reporters:

"The truth is that I am nothing like the player that Maradona was. I am a simple football player, some may like me and others not. I could never compare myself with him or try and occupy his place. I simply tried to do what I do best, which is to play football"

I personally wouldn't be averse to seeing Lavezzi at Anfield. He will definitely improve the squad, and is a superior option to both Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert. Additionally, given his experience, he is capable of coming in and making an immediate impact.

Should Liverpool pursue a deal?

Author: Jaimie K