2 Mar 2015

TMW Exclusive: Liverpool in talks to sign 'explosive' Brazilian. Decision expected soon

Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato recently claimed that Liverpool were close to agreeing a deal for Fiorentina goalkeeper Norberto Murara Neto (aka 'Neto'), and new reports suggest that the Reds are still monitoring the Brazilian with a view to a summer transfer.

In November, Tutto Mercato claimed that:

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

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

over the weekend, Tutto Mercato further claimed:

* Liverpool still want Neto despite the Simon Mignolet's recent good form.
* Contact with Liverpool is 'continuing', and a decision is expected 'soon'.

In January,, 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 [and] his desire [is] to be free to decide his own future."

Neto's Stats:
* 80 goals conceded in 81 games.
* Concedes 0.98 goals per game.
* Clean Sheets: 30 (37.5% - 1 every 2.6 games)
* This season: 13 goals conceded in 18 games.
* 0.7 goals conceded per game.
* 9 clean sheets (50% - 1 every 2 games)

Neto's record for Fiorentina 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 - despite his improved form, Mignolet (IMO) still needs to be replaced, not challenged.

Neto is a mid-level stopper; he's never played for Brazil, and he appears to be on a similar level to Mignolet. Liverpool need a very clear upgrade, and I doubt Neto is the answer.

If the story has substance, though, it looks like Rodgers' is planning to bring in someone to merely challenge Mignolet, rather than replace him, and that is (arguably) a mistake.

Author:


12 comments:

  1. I agree. Liverpool don't need to sign a backup keeper, they need to find someone who can genuinely push Mignolet out of the side. If Mignolet is then good enough to retain his spot despite having a top class challenger then so be it.

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  2. Need someone that can push and challenge him but Simon Mignolet is going to be at Anfield for long time ,

    Neto or a young Matt Ryan.

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  3. With this guy we would be buying a backup for Mignolet. I still think we should be signing another keeper in the summer but Mignolet comes off his line more these days, communicates more, seems more confident so at least he is showing the intent to improve. That's not enough for me to say we don't need another goalkeeper but if we do sign one, it should be an improvement on Mignolet now. Not Mignolet three months ago.

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  4. Really tricky one this as if Mignolet played how he has been playing the last month or 2 this wouldn't even be a conversation. Having said that it is impossible to ignore how terrible he was during the first half of the season. I think we can rule out someone like Cech coming in, too high wages etc. I would probably opt for someone a bit younger with the potential to be world class thus giving Mignolet a bit of a second chance if you like to see if he has really turned the corner. To that end Matt Ryan seems like a decent shout.

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  5. If you're gonna keep copy-pasting your old blogs, I'm gonna start copy-pasting my comments on them. Just sayin.....

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  6. Just listening to a caller on a national sport radio station talking about Mingolet's improvement since he began hitting it long and describing Sakho as looking like Bambi on ice.....do you read my posts, Steve? ....Trumpet back in it's case!

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  7. I have read this Bambi on ice nonsense for so long. Has anyone ever been so wrong about a player?

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  8. Jay Jay. We've been here before, man. (Just last week) it's not a criticism of him. He's playing great. its just an amusing observation of his style and his long legs.

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  9. Fair enough. I am very protective of the lad as I have been singing his praises from last season when he was far less appreciated based less on his own form.

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  10. I think we need a keeper to strongly challenge Mignolet, but based on his recent renaissance, I think it'd be unfair to say that we need to replace him. If Mignolet keeps it up until the end of the season, he doesn't deserve to be coldly replaced like that.

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  11. Stats are all but pointless when it comes to goalkeepers imo. Far too many variables to be anything like definitive. I've seen goalkeepers have excellent games but still concede 4-5 goals without being at fault for any of them.
    Anyway this lad or the boy Ryan look like good options to me

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  12. Thought it might be Neymar.

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