11 Feb 2015

Exciting Transfer? Liverpool pushing to sign €19m 'warrior' striker who'll leave if Dortmund get relegated

Liverpool are reportedly considering a summer more for Borussia Dortmund striker Ciro Immobile.

According to German newspaper Bild this week:

* Brendan Rodgers is 'lining up a deal' to sign Immobile.

* The striker will definitely leave Dortmund of the unthinkable happens and the club is relegated at the end of the season.

Despite grabbing 11 goals/assists in 22 appearances this season, Immobile is under pressure in Germany, and he's becoming a scapegoat for Dortmund's fall from grace.

Indeed, on Saturday, influential German newspaper Die Welt ran with the damaging headline:

'Immobile is a big part of the problem at Borussia Dortmund'

Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has also fanned the flames of discontent. In an interview over the weekend, he hailed Immobile as a 'warrior', but then proceeded to publicly criticise his performances. He told reporters:

"What is really going wrong is that we make the wrong decisions at crucial moments, and Immobile is a prime example when it comes to making wrong decisions"

I doubt Immobile will enjoy reading these comments from Klopp, and public scapegoating of this nature is precisely the kind of thing that pushes players towards the exit door. That said, when asked in January whether he wants to leave, the striker told reporters:

“Borussia Dortmund spent a lot of money for me and I want to repay their trust. Could I return to Italy? No, last summer I made a clear decision. Besides, I wouldn't leave the team in this moment of hardship.”

Prior to his €19m Dortmund transfer, Immobile had a decent goals/assists record:

* 28 goals/6 assists (34) in 68 apps (Torino and Genoa).
* Goal/assist every 2 games.

He's continued that creative rate at Dortmund, but following in the footsteps of a player like Robert Lewandowski is a tall order, and Immobile is clearly expected to achieve similar goal/assist stats.

Immobile has four years left on his contract, so he won't come cheap, but he is arguably an upgrade on Borini and Lambert. That said, there's no guarantee that he'll perform in the Premier League, and given Liverpool's (historical) bad luck with Italian players, it's probably best to steer clear.



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38 comments:

  1. Rather have Aubemayang
    Lots of pace

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  2. Something tells me that he won't move.

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  3. All the strikers we are linked with are either, unbelievable, unplayable or immobile I want one you can believe in, that can play in most matches and runs around a lot

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  4. I think he should change his name by deed-poll to Vigorouso or Dynamici, something like that.

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  5. but he can't finish

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  6. Puns have already been played out so I have nothing to add. Soto drew. West Ham doing us another slight favour. They play Spurs soon. Pity the derby was so poor but beating Spurs.has gotten us closer. How United won I will never know.

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  7. There's been far too much swallowing going on in this thread...

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  8. I'd never heard of him until Villa signed him but he looks good. We're pretty well stocked in the attacking mid department, both in the first team and the academy. Can't sign them all

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  9. I like Ash's pun - short and sweet,

    Yeah result a bit mixed getting worried about Manu now but boy it's going to be squeaky bum time at the end of the season.

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  10. B Rodgers needs to ship out these 3 strikers in the summer:


    F Borini(23) replace with S Berahino(21) Of West Brom for £14-£18m


    I Aspas(27) replace with P Aubamayeng(25) Of B Dortmund for £12-£17M


    R Lambert(32) replace with C Benteke(24) Of A Vila for £12-£18M


    Three dead wood average strikers out and 3 top class quality strikers in.


    Whilst B Rodgers needs to clear out the rest of the dead wood players on clubs books this summer:


    GK: B Jones(32) CB: K Toure(33) CB: S Coates(24)


    RB: G Johnson(30) LB: J Enrique(28) CM: J Allen(24)


    AM: L Alberto(22)


    Whilst L Leiva(28) should be given the chance to play in italy and sold in summer

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  11. Captain Magic Goalio

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  12. Yeah Ash's was the best because I read it and was going to make the pun then realised he had already. Clever b@stard.

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  13. Firstly, immobile is an average player. Secondly, Dortmund not getting relegated. Too much quality in that team to get relegated. They'll comfortably push up the table and out of the relegation zone.

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  14. Hey, less of the clever.

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  15. Keep the extra he'd cost and buy Ings.. people have got to see he's better than they give him credit for.. heres a stat for you 2 goals 1 assit in 2 games/ 5 goals in 6 games...for Burnely....Scored another cracker tonight.

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  16. Mmmm... That's punny :P

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  17. Yeah, realised that before, but only after I'd posted. Just looked for the next league fixture, like a fool.

    In that case, full steam ahead with Operation Mario.

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  18. They may well still avoid relegation but comfortably? Time will tell but they look far from comfortable so far

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  19. I was surprised that Villa could sign him, and even more surprised that Lambert has been sacked so soon after signing him. The guy was one of the best creative players in La Liga.

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  20. What a goal from Danny Inges

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  21. To me he looks like a Borini type player, except he scores goals. Useful squad player for us and will likely take Fabio's place in the squad come the summer

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  22. Nothing big about this story.

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  23. Hmm, interesting comparison. Ings is much more refined than Borini. He has more pace available so he doesn't have to be in such a hurry, which means he makes fewer mistakes. His timing into... well into everything, is better, he's smoother and easier on the eye. He is also trickier in tight situations where Fabio has basically nothing; he's quite similar to Dirk Kuyt actually, in that he can pull a few surprises in those little situations at the sidelines or in the corners. He's also a different proposition from Borini with his back to goal; he can not just hold up, but creatively distribute the ball and make an attacking moment.

    This is where Borini has fallen away I think. A few years ago, I remember looking at him and thinking that when his physique develops and he learns to use his strength, he could be a really good linking forward or modern target man, something along the lines of (don't laugh) Welbeck, or (a more brilliant example) Costa: can run with the ball, defend from the front, make physical challenges, and score from all kinds of situations. But Borini is actually quite poor at protecting the ball and he lacks the pace to be in control. He has developed instead along the lines of a sort of lightweight striker, almost like Sturridge, but he makes no sense in that role, his short movements are not clever enough for the top level, and again he lacks the pace for it.

    He's just not a premier league standard player -- but he really could have been. He'd be better heading back to Italy where he could have a better career I think. I'm really pleased with myself for that Dirk Kuyt comparison for Ings by the way.

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  24. We wont have enough dough to buy those 3 strikers let alone replacements for all the players u named.

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  25. Haha up vote your own comment, just this once.
    Borini is a very frustrating player. I think he's premier league standard but not Liverpool standard. Whether Ings can cut it at the top remains to be seen but his record in a very average team is admirable.
    I always thought we should have played Kuyt at wingback

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  26. Watching Ings for the England U21s, who are an excellent side, even without the big stars like Sterling etc, he looks the bees knees.

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  27. He's said before that he's paid to score goals and used the postman analogy. It's a refreshing attitude IMO - I know musicians that really hate all the 'celebrity' side of what they do. I get the feeling that MB likes playing football, but hates all the crap that goes with it, including the hero worship. I really wouldn't be surprised if he retires before too long - in the next 3-5 years.
    The swift exit? He's been ill recently... draw your own conclusions ;)
    Personally, if he's putting the ball in the net for us regularly, he can moon the Kop whilst wearing an Everton shirt, for all I care

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  28. Just get us Lacazette

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  29. We should forget Berahino and focus on better players like Lacazette. The rash to sigh one-season or half season-wonder-British players amuses me. People dont seem to care about how pitiful this is

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  30. To be fair my opinion on Ings has been built solely on what I've seen of him on MOTD so I'm far from an expert on the lad

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  31. Never heard of him - Exciting for who?

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  32. B Rodgers or a new manager needs to be given £70M to spend on players whether we sell players or not. If we make champions league.


    Last season we spent £115M but brought in £85M on player sales, so the net spend was £30M.


    The owners need to give B Rodgers or a new manager a minimum of £70M to spend without any player sales. And then whatever the manager can get on player sales he should also be allowed to spend on players.


    That way we would be able to bring players of top class quality into club and clear the dead wood average players out.

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  33. Berahino(21) is a top class striker who will only get better, the problem with Lacazette(24) is he is world class and doing very well in France at the moment and that if any other top European clubs are interested in him we will have no chance in hell of getting him as our owners, transfer committee do not push the boat to bring in the best players around in Europe to the club. As they do not want to pay the wages of world class players.

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  34. I voted "No". Football isn't a place for smiles. It's a platform for frowns, grimaces, and sneers. The only time a footballer should bare his teeth is to bite someone on the neck or arm.

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