15 Feb 2015

Scout tells BR: Sign 'extraordinary' £25m striker who smashed 47 goals in one season

Earlier this season, the Agent of Lazio starlet Keita Balde Diao - a former Barcelona youth player - confirmed that Brendan Rodgers actively tried to sign the striker last summer, and new reports suggest that Liverpool have are planning to go back in for him in the upcoming summer transfer window.

According to reports today:

* LFC scout Barry Hunter has brought Diao 'to the attention of Rodgers'

* The 19-year old striker is available for £25m.

Liverpool's interezt in Balde is well established:

SEP 2013: The Daily Mail reported that Liverpool's scouts watched the 18-year old in his debut in Lazio's 1-0 win over Legia Warsaw in the Europa League.

FEB 2014: Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato reported that the Reds were still monitoring the player.

MAR 2014: The Mirror claimed that Liverpool scouts continued to check on Balde, and his Agent insisted that the transfer fee 'cannot be less than €15m".

SEP 2014: Balde's agent, Anglo Cascella, told reporters: "Liverpool and Juventus made a €20m million offer last summer, but Lazio always rejected their offers".

OCT 2014: Reports in Italy claimed that Arsenal and Liverpool will go head-to-head to sign

Some facts about Balde:

* Kicked out of Barca at 15 for playing a prank on a tour of Qatar.
* 2010-11: Scored 47 goals in one season for UE Cornellà's youth team.
* Rejected the chance to return to Barcelona.
* Currently contracted to Lazio until June 2017.
* Last season: 6 goals/9 assists in 34 apps for Lazio.
* This season: 3 goals/2 assists in 15 apps.
* 5 goals/assists in 8 Europa League games.

Lazio midfielder Gianmarco Falasca is a fan of Keita, and believes he's destined for great things. In December, he told LazioNews:

"Keita is an extraordinary talent. When he works, you can see he is quiet and he is really strong"

Former Lazio coach Edy Reja is also quietly confident that Keita can develop into a top class player. In a recent interview with Rai Sport, he enthused:

"I knew about Keita’s talent two years ago, he is a player who has continued to grow. If he can maintain the right level of humility and work hard, even defensively, he can do very well.”

It's unclear whether LFC made their summer offer before or after signing Divock Origi, but in my view, it doesn't make sense to bring in Balde with the similarly-aged Belgian striker arriving in the summer.

Plus, both are similar players, in that they're big, strong, powerful attackers, though Balde can also play on the left-wing.

Additionally, £25m is as massively inflated transfer fee for a 19-year old, and there are established, more experienced strikers available for that kind of money.

In any event, Balde is (IMO) just another in a long-line of cash-obsessed football mercenaries. In October, he crashed his Lamborghini Gallardo; a 19-year old with a Lamborghini? That says it all, really.

Author:


40 comments:

  1. No not for me

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  2. Origi has and does get played left wing too.

    The last paragraph definitely put off though.

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  3. I've said it for a couple of months now, IMO next season's ideal strikeforce : Sturridge, Lacazette, Balotelli and Origi

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  4. Rather spend 30mil on Lacazette than spending 25mil(!!) on another teenage striker.

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  5. This old chestnut again...

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  6. The fact he is 19 with a super car doesn't worry me! He's living the dream so I think that's abit of a cheap dig. How many people would turn one down at 19? I am more concerned with the fact his stats are not special to Warrent that kind of money. Even if, in the summer we ship out boring and lambert we will still have sturridge, balotelli and origi as main strikers. Seeing as though we play our best football with one striker up top, I don't see where another high priced striker fits in. Lacozette would seem a classier addition if sturridge's injuries re-occur! I have read too many pieces of heresay from site in my time to take it seriously! Sorry but we can all repeat paper talk! It doesn't make it true!

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  7. Sorry it's off topic but I felt this needed posting. I am not saying that Rodgers isn't arrogant. He certainly believes his own hype but the way some of our own fans act it is like he is the only one. Like most managers don't have this over belief in their own abilities. Big fat Sam recently said this "I don't think there is any coach more sophisticated than me anymore. That's not trying to criticise any other
    coaches. But there is only Arsene Wenger who has done it longer than
    me. I'm just as good as everybody at this stage." This obviously before they were humped by West Brom

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  8. Jaimie is desperate for these guys to join:


    Ochoa
    Balde

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  9. Why not sign him?


    Sign him , then loan him to Fc Shalke
    then sell him for 30m
    like Chelsea did with Lukaku and De Bruyne

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  10. The best line up would be
    Sturridge,Lacazette and Aubemayang , Sterling 10
    that is some serious pace no team will cope

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  11. Andre Wisdom crashed a Porsche the other year. Balde is not unique in this regard.

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  12. Eye see what you did there.

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  13. No Lamborghini, Ferrari or Aston Martin's for young football players.Only Reliant Robins!

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  14. I reckon I once must have scored over 1000 goals in a season, maybe the 1985-86 season when we were playing first to 50, rush goalies, about 20 or 30 a side. Come and get me Brendo. I'm ready.

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  15. Unwavering self belief is a prerequisite of any top level manager just as it is for players. It may be construed as arrogance but very few timid, humble, nice guys are at the forefront of any competitive environment. I generally think Brendan conducts himself pretty well

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  16. They're only allowed smart cars until they're 25

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  17. So at what age does having a Lamborghini not classify you as being a cash-obsessed football mercenary? Don't ever pass by Melwood's parking lot Jaimie, you'd stop supporting the club.

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  18. Who cares? I crashed my Rolls Royce the other week. I'm fine, so be will Diao.

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  19. they are extremely practical in italy

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  20. Agreed. I also hate Big Fat Sam and reveled in his humiliation.

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  21. Likewise. He looks like a catfish

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  22. It should be a criminal offence for young players to own a Maserati, Bentley or any other Supercar.
    If footballers want to get about.Smart cars, Public Transport, Mopeds or old Bangers ready for the scrapheap should do.

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  23. I'd say the age that you can be considered legitimately mature and responsible over your possessions and money. At 19, that's simply not true, for anyone. Especially for someone like Keita Balde who was kicked out of Barca youth for pranks. And the fact that he crashed it without any true discipline should be evidence of this.

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  24. Kicked out of Barca at 15 for playing a prank on a tour of Qatar.


    Will suit Liverpool and befriend Balotelli

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  25. Get Lacazette first, see how Origi does second and the decide if we need another striker.

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  26. Amazing player, that is why he only plays when everybody is injured...

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  27. Yokohama Liverpool Fan8:11 am, February 16, 2015

    I want us to get an industrious dribbler who can force his way into the box and score goals.


    I think we are better off signing Lacazette (fwd/winger), Dyabala (fwd), Montoya (right back), Danilo (Braga, DMF) and a backup goalie.


    Pjanic, Nainggolan will be great additions to fill the Gerrard void and cover any potential loss of Sterling should he not sign a contract extension. I can only imagine how p*ssed off the Board are after granting him a holiday to Jamaica and then getting rejected twice on a new deal just to attract the sharks swimming around.


    How this is getting dragged out and not been done behind closed doors is disturbing. Not to mention the fact that he has been missing the last two games.

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  28. Thats coz everyones broke.

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  29. and everything broken

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  30. Clearly pommie's cannot drive!!

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  31. yeah and while we are at it we can just throw lobbed through balls over the oppositions slowest center half for them... mate. you gotta stop playing fifa. or realise that its an arcade version of football.

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  32. Mr Bean crashed his McLaren

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  33. Orme, do you play hearthstone by any chance?

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  34. nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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  35. Lille are an attacking non-entity. His failure to prosper there doesn't worry me too much. That isn't to say he's guaranteed to succeed- that very much remains to be seen.

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  36. Origi is Borinis replacement and he will be lucky if he gets more time than him.

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  37. Nope.. Just winning eleven..

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