20 Oct 2015

Boss confirms: 'World-class' £16m attacker wanted by Klopp 'dreams' of playing for 'Liverpool'.

The ink is barely dry on Jurgen Klopp's Anfield contract, but just ten days into his reign, Liverpool have already been linked with countless players, including Swansea City attacker Andre Ayew. In the past, Ayew has made it clear many times that he wants to play for LFC, but is there any truth to this particular rumour?

Last week, ESPN claimed:

"Jurgen Klopp has made Andre Ayew one of his top transfer targets, sources have told ESPN. Klopp is a big admirer of Ayew and twice tried to sign him when he was in charge of Borussia Dortmund".

When asked this week about Liverpool's interest, Swansea boss Gary Monk dismissed the speculation as 'not reality', and insisted that he doesn't 'think about it'. He told Wales Online:

"Players get linked everywhere, every year. It is not my concern if he [Ayew] is a Liverpool fan. That’s great for him; we all have boyhood dreams. There are 1,000 players I admire in the game, but is there any point in that?”

Ayew - whose Swansea deal is reportedly worth £16m over 4 years - is definitely a Liverpool fan, and he's confirmed this on several occasions:

* Jun 2013: He told Telefoot: "I am Ghanaian and an English speaker, and I have a strong preference for England. As for Liverpool - I followed them as a child".

* Feb 2015: Ayew enthused: “All my life I have been a Liverpool fan. It would be an honour play there".

* Apr 2015: He told reporters: "I've supported them [Liverpool] for 20 years. My dream is to play in the Premier League, but it's true that I'm a Liverpool fan".

Monk didn't explicitly deny the Liverpool rumour; he merely stated that he doesn't think about the speculation.

Unlike Liverpool's summer signings, Ayew - hailed by Ghana boss Kwesi Appiah as 'a player of world-class technical ability - immediately hit the ground running, and he's already contributed 5 goals/assists in 8 games for Swansea.

Ayew is doing well, but the acid test is how well he performs over an entire season. Over the years, many players have burned brightly in the first few months of the season, only to fizzle out and struggle thereafter. As such, there's no point getting carried away right now.

Swansea got Ayew for free, so if Liverpool go in with a decent offer in January, the club will almost certainly sell, especially given the potentially humungous profit margin.

It's easy to see how Ayew will fit into Klopp's 4231 formation, and if the Reds sign the Ghanaian, it could be the beginning of the end for Coutinho.

Author: Jaimie K


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