Stunning claim: Legend insists €35m Liverpool target is world's 'most exciting player'

Liverpool are reportedly back in the race for Paris St. Germain attacker Javier Pastore, who was heavily linked with a move to Anfield during the 2013-14 season.

A report in Monday's Daily Express claims that:

* Pastore - nicknamed 'El Flaco' - is one of Liverpool's summer transfer 'targets'.

* Talks with PSG over a new contract are currently at an impasse.

Liverpool were last linked with Pastore in December 2013, and reports at the time claimed the Reds were favourites to seal the deal (if he decided to leave PSG)

Some info about Pastore:

* Cost PSG €42m (!) in 2011
* Current contract expires in 2016.
* 34 goals/34 assists in 176 games for PSG.
* Goal/assist every 2.5 games

* Last season: Admitted that the pressure of being at PSG affected his performances: "With the players that have come in, the pressure is no longer only on me. It's better for me to have less pressure. Other players have the burden. When the responsibility is shared it's better".

* Lionel Messi's assessment: "You can see he is tough, he's physically fit and he's going to go far, I am convinced of it. We played alongside each other [for Argentina] and we struck up a good understanding".

* Over the weekend, Laurent Blanc sounded a note of caution over Pastore. He told reporters: "Javier is just so unpredictable. [He] does things that only talented players can do [but] he [also] does that can't be rationally explained. He can sometimes put the team at risk [and] I must tell him off as he is someone who needs that."

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona is a huge fan of Pastore, and in a recent interview, he made the following bold claim:

"The best player in the world, the most exciting player in the world, is Pastore. He's got something special. He's the most creative player in the world today. I love this kind of player."

Cantona is entitled to his opinion, but there is no objective evidence whatsoever to back up his claim that the Argentina is the 'best', most 'exciting', and/or most 'creative' player 'in the world'. Indeed, Pastore himself has refuted Cantona's claim; speaking to reporters last night, he mused:

"I thank him [Cantona] for his praise [but] I don't share his view. I don't compare myself with the best. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are incredible players".

A cursory glance at the respective goals/assist stats of Ronaldo, Messi, and Pastore reveals the obvious truth: Pastore is very far from being the most 'creative' player in the world.

Back to reality: PSG are reportedly willing to sell Pastore for €35m [25m], which is a comparatively reasonable price for the alleged 'best player in the world',

However, Liverpool can (arguably) do better. Pastore's goals/assists ratio is nothing special, and I'd rather see the Reds spend less on the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko or Roberto Firmino, players whose creative stats are far superior.

Author: Jaimie K