25 Aug 2015

'He's massive': Carra hails 'brilliant' attacker Liverpool tried to sign for £38m last summer

As I'm sure many fans will agree, Liverpool's failure to sign ex-Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez remains one of biggest transfer disappointments of the Premier League era. For a few brief, exquisite moments, it seemed like the deal might happen, but the dream died when the Chilean maestro secured a £35m move to Arsenal. Sanchez would've been a perfect replacement for Luis Suarez, but it wasn't meant to be, and like many Reds fans, Anfield legend Jamie Carragher still bemoans Liverpool's inability to seal the deal.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Carra hailed Sanchez as a 'brilliant player', and insisted that he is 'one of the best players in the league'. He enthused:

"He is...massive for them [Arsenal]. It is just a bit sad that he went to Arsenal instead of Liverpool. He would have been a fantastic acquisition for anyone in this league. He never stops running...and you see the difference he has made".

Liverpool made a huge effort to sign Sanchez during the summer of 2013, and according to Spanish newspaper Sport:

* Rodgers instructed the club to outbid Arsenal for Sanchez.

* The Reds put in a £38m offer, but Barcelona rejected it - and took a £3m hit - to allow Sanchez to move to Arsenal, which was always his first choice club.

In a press conference last season, Brendan Rodgers outlined the reason why Sanchez rejected LFC. He claimed:

“Sanchez was one where geography dictated where he wanted to go, simple as that. It wasn’t a lack of ambition. The player and his family simply wanted to choose to live where they did. He’s a fantastic player...but it was not to be”

Sanchez's decision is totally understandable, and it's hard to begrudge his choice. London is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest cities, and Arsenal have a long record of consistently playing attractive football.

Plus, Wenger remains a major attraction for top players, which is an advantage that he - and the likes of Van Gaal, Mourinho etc - hold over Rodgers.


Carra is right, though. Losing out on Sanchez is a massive shame. He is perfect for Liverpool, and with his tireless work-rate, he'd fit right into Rodgers' team, where pressing seems to be prioritised above everything else.

Granted, Liverpool have Philippe Coutinho, but the Brazilian who doesn't have Sanchez's body strength, and he's nowhere near as prolific when it comes to goals/assists.

That said, Coutinho arguably had a more telling attacking impact on last night's game, and but for a world-class save, and the crossbar, the Brazilian could've ended the night with two goals.




Author: Jaimie K


0 Comments:

Post a Comment