5 Jan 2015

Transfer Boost: After outbidding Roma, LFC now free to sign 'explosive' €6m Brazilian

Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato recently claimed that Liverpool were close to agreeing a deal for Fiorentina goalkeeper Norberto Murara Neto (aka 'Neto'), and developments this weekend mean that the Reds are in a great position to seal the deal.

In November, Tutto Mercato claimed that:

* Liverpool have offered Neto €1.9m a year contract (£36k per week)

* The Reds have outbid Roma, who've offered €1.6m.

On Sunday, Fiorentina released a statement confirming that Neto is leaving the club:

"Neto today officially informed the club of his intention not to prolong his contract with the Viola. The decision is definitive. His decision is entirely unrelated to financial motivations, with his desire to be free to decide his own future the sole reason behind his move."

Neto's Stats:

* 2014-15: Played 15
* Goals conceded: 13 (1 every 1.1 games)
* Clean Sheets: 6

* 2013-14: Played 49
* Goals conceded: 51 (1 every 1.04 games)
* Clean Sheets: 16 (1 every 3 games)

* TOTALS: (Fiorentina) - Played 76
* Goals conceded: 80 (1 every 10.2 games)
* Clean Sheets: 28 (35% - 1 every 2.8 games)

€6m-rated Neto's clean sheet record is quite impressive, but over his career, his goals-conceded per-game ratio is not the greatest. However, last season, he conceded fewer goals (51 in 49 games) than Mignolet (53 in 40 games), so at a basic level, the Brazilian is clearly an upgrade.

Former Fiorentina goalkeeper Sébastien Frey certainly believes that Neto is a top-class 'keeper. In an interview earlier this year, he raved:

“I trained for a few months with Neto and he his is naturally explosive, and I think the Italian school helped him grow even more. He can become one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A.”

Is Neto the answer, or should Liverpool try and sign a proven, world-class goalkeeper (like Petr Cech, for example, who is currently being linked with a move to Anfield)?

I'd personally prefer to see a recognised top-class 'keeper come in. Liverpool shouldn't mess around here - Mignolet needs to be replaced, not challenged. Neto is a mid-level stopper; he's never played for Brazil, and he's (arguably) on a similar level to the Belgian.

Liverpool need a very clear upgrade, and I doubt Neto is it.

Author:


34 comments:

  1. Cech won't be released by CFC, especially now that Schwarzer has moved to Leicester.


    Neto's contract status and 36k a week offer is by far the most appealing one to FSG.


    I mistrust the Transfer Committee with high priced signings based on recent evidence, and the absence of value is even more worrisome.


    For example, there is no parallel universe in which Berahino is worth 25m quid.

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  2. Gotta agree, Bego would be my choice, but if we had some coin, go for both Bego and Neto. A keeper needs competition and Jones isnt competition at this level. Ward is still a bit young to be pushed to the 1sts.

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  3. Is neto an amazing transfer? No but do I like it yes for this reason it is a slight upgrade on mingolet if at all but we are getting him on the cheap...but most importantly I think we all know how much more overpriced a player is in the winter window I would rather bring one in over the summer when funds are available and we can make it our top priority....at this point bringing in neto will hopefully work out as neto being golden or spurring mingolet into form...but loser of the gk battle if we do bring in neto will be sold summer and then we go for a top class one over the summer...it just appears as funds wont be available this winter so I think of we go for a top shot stopper we cant bring in much else in terms of cover... if we bring in shaq, a striker and neto we cant be too upset given how horrible BR transfer activity has been....but absolutely jamie I do agree we should not mess around with gk I just dont think a winter transfer is possible due to our fails in the summer I hope this buy is a kind of stop gap or hopeful fix to get us to summer for a top class one and not us pinning our future on neto cause if thats the case I do not like the transfer.

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  4. If we can get Cech then we should pull out all the plugs to get him. I fear this notion of getting into another experiment witrh keepers. Seeing that the season can be saved and we potentially might get into that top four, I think BR should just go for a proven keeper

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  5. No more money to Rodgers
    Aspas,Balotelli,Borini,Alberto,Assaidi,Susi,Iloris
    too mant unwanted players at lfc , he should have a sell to buy right now

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  6. Finding an upgrade on Mignolet is not that difficult- maybe the Neto Romero Ochoa saga is a smokescreen and in fact we will sign a real keeper- even Lloris is supposedly up for sale (25m) go German I say

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  7. Bring in Cech although he is not the long term solution. Bring Cech in until we find a long term young GK. Neto may come good but I'm afraid he'll be good for the first one season like Mignolet. Until we find a young long term GK solution, Cech will be a good fit.

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  8. Cech has probably 6 maybe 7 seasons left in him at the top level if we could somehow persuade him to sign he wud hardly be a stop gap

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  9. Enough already. BR is NOT going to be sacked before the summer. We need upgrades NOW

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  10. can someone explain to me why anyone would describe a goalkeeper as explosive ?

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  11. Who are the most highly-regarded keepers in the club game right now? There are some older guys like Cech, Casillias, and Buffon still around. But there aren't many "recognised" keepers to choose from, are there? Courtois, Sirigu, Handanovic De Gea, Hart, Neuer. These guys are relatively young, but none of them are anywhere near available.

    It's really difficult, because if you don't go for a truly experienced keeper, who has seen it all in football, you are rolling the dice as to how he will adapt to somewhere like LFC. It can take years for a goalkeeper to rid himself of every last vestige of nerves, to learn to make ice run in his veins. Migs is clearly a talented keeper, he made a great start at LFC, but he's disintegrated mentally.

    This applies even to talented keepers who know the Premier League, like Begovic or Ruddy. Because of that, if we are not going to have the patience to back our man like Man Utd backed de Gea, and because we simply can't lever out one of the small number of established, "recognised" guys, it's going to be a roll of the dice whatever we do.

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  12. I agree with you that Sheikh is clueless, but I think he means Ilori, rather than Lloris, in this case.

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  13. The burst of movement from stillness into a save can be described as explosive. It suits Neto.

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  14. What? Are you suggesting that there is no way of making a signings and them being an instant success? Blasphemy! This is Liverpool don't you know. We only accept players who are already excellent and prove it day one or they are sh1t and we will give them loaf's of stick until they are mentally battered and are on edge every time they get on thd field. That is the Liverpool way! Or is it?

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  15. Wow, i aint a real fan because i cant spell his name properly?

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  16. Urgrades that will block career of Jordon Ibe and Divock Origi
    whats the point of an academy and buying young players

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  17. Bugger these type of players nothing against Neto but pay the money get a top class young keeper 1 position filled well for 10 seasons.
    This messing around with mid range buys only leads to more buys more fees more waste its time to for the club to go quality if only to make a few of transfers in the next 2 windows.
    Apart from a few promising players last summers window was a disgrace.

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  18. Pity the £117m that was spent at the start of the season was not utilised better?

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  19. Oh dear God...they'll never learn...

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  20. Sounds more like the Tottenham way to me. I remember our supporters getting right behind players who were nowhere near the level we had a right to expect, turning mediocrities into gods by their passionate belief and encouragement. I don't see that so much now -- more what you describe. It's sad, but I think it's what comes with the prices. The only people who can afford to go are miserable middle-aged gits like me who've seen it all before and just go to grumble and sit around with their mates from the olden days.

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  21. I tell you what though. Neto looks the business.

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  22. No mate. The away supporters who are having to spend even more money are the true barometer. They get behind the players and even manager. Not like the internet lads who don't even get home games never mind away ones. The home support are a problem mate and if your sitting with some miserable gits try and get them to give the lads a break. It is absolutely counter productive to what we want to see if everything is seen through the pessimists glass. The lads who I go with are in their thrties, late twenties, have never been spoiled by continuous success and are more used to ups and downs. We have had some excellent ups but the expectancy is more realistic. We may not sing with the same gusto as others but we never get on peoples backs and that for me is the way it should be. You get more with carrot than stick.

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  23. We want a star nothing less

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  24. hes not good enough..period....a world class goalie ....if you look at all the great clubs they only really kick on when they sign great keepers

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  25. your right there great for buying beans

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  26. tnt strapped to his back

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  27. berkovic is my choice

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  28. thank you for all the answers.. that was helpful.. i guess

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  29. OK mate, but who? Name some goalkeeping stars? It's a delicate business. Ochoa is a goalkeeping star, big name, one of the world's most recognisable players. He's box office. But actually he's not as good an option as less recognised alternatives. And the real stars? Well, what about Keylor Navas? Taken. Manuel Neuer? Taken. Joe Hart? Taken. David De Gea? Taken. Thibault Courtois? Taken. Salvatore Sirigu? Taken. Samir Handanovic? Taken.

    How many other star goalkeepers are there? There are a few names around, sure: Ter Stagen, Perin... These guys are well known, but all lesser lights.

    Neto too. Neto is one of the more rated keepers in Serie A, big clubs have been in for him previously. He backs up one of the better defences in Serie A. The stat that matters, for me, is the % of shots saved. Neto's kept with 7 clean sheets so far this season with a 78% save ratio. That compares to 80% for Buffon and 82% for Perin. But then, Buffon's only faced 25 shots for a dominant Juve. Perin's faced 70 for a struggling Genoa. Neto has saved 43 from 55. It's an impressive performance.

    Of course, Manuel Neuer makes all these people look like amateurs, with his 90%+ save ratio... Think we can sign him from Bayern?

    Honestly, who is it you want us to sign, again? Migs has clearly lost his way mentally and needs time to recover. So we need a goalkeeper. But if you will only be satisfied with a star name -- well, you are going to be disappointed. None a coming. The fact that *you* haven't heard of a goalkeeper doesn't make him a bad player, right? But come on, who have you got in mind? Who will satisfy you?

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  30. Begovic is actually having a bit of a stinker this season... Stoke probably wouldn't mind getting rid! I'd have had him over Migs first time round as well, but not now I don't think.

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  31. Haha! Growing them you mean :)

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