19 Nov 2015

'New Ronaldo' to LFC? Klopp wants €35m goal-machine who's confirmed Liverpool transfer is an enticing option

Liverpool continue to be linked with a move for Inter Milan star Mauro Icardi, and new reports suggest that the Argentine striker remains one of Jurgen Klopp's top transfer targets.

Milan recently slapped a €35m transfer fee on Icardi, and according to Calcio Mercato on Wednesday:

* Klopp is determined to sign Icardi, and is not 'giving up' on securing a transfer.

* The Reds are planning to make a move during the upcoming transfer window.

Icardi appears to be amenable to a move, and when asked in February about the Liverpool speculation, he told reporters:

"If the rumours about United, Chelsea and Liverpool are real, I would be honoured because they are big clubs".

Some info about Icardi, who, according to his agent, 'has the talent to be the new Ronaldo':

* Spent 3 years at Barcelona before his €400k move to Sampdoria.

* Last season: 36 goals/assists in 48 apps for Inter (one every 107 mins)

* Overall: 51 goals/assists in 81 games (one every 118 games)

* In a recent interview, Icardi revealed he wants to 'be like Gabriel Batistuta'

36 goals/assists in Italian football (or indeed any league) is a great achievement, and if a British striker did that at the age of 22, he'd be deified by the media, and heralded as the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Just look at the ridiculously premature hype over Delli Alli this week; he scored a (deflected) goal in a meaningless friendly, and the media are now building him up as the next big thing. Like so many other overrated Brits, though, Alli will inevitably crash and burn (for England). But I digress...

Is Icardi worth €35m? Undoubtedly (IMO). If Anthony Martial is worth £58m, then Icardi - who has vastly superior creative output - is a comparative bargain. Plus, he's the captain of Inter at the age of 22, which is another great achievement.

Obviously, I'd prefer to see Liverpool spend significantly less to seal the deal, but in any event, a transfer seems unlikely. Jurgen Klopp has never paid that amount of money for a player, and I doubt he'll start now when he can probably unearth a similarly effective player for one-fifth of the price.

The elephant in the room is, of course, Liverpool's poor record of success with players from Serie A, but that has to change sometime...right?

Author: Jaimie K


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