With Lallana and Firmino struggling to consistently score/create goals, Liverpool arguably need another proven attacking midfielder to pick up the slack, and reports in France this week claim that Jurgen Klopp is actively pursuing 'extraordinary' PSG winger Lucas Moura.
According to Le10 Sport:
* Liverpool have 'made contact' with PSG to discuss the the possibility of a January deal
* Klopp is keen to sign the 23-year old attacker, and Moura allegedly wants to play for Klopp.
One of Liverpool's biggest problems is the consistent failure of the club's attacking midfielders to regularly score/create goals, and - like Lallana - Firmino seems to struggling to handle the pressure/expectation that comes with playing for Liverpool.
Would Moura be any different? On the plus side, the Brazilian - who cost PSG €45m - plays for one of Europe's biggest clubs, so he's experienced the pressure that comes with relentless expectation. However, his stats are nothing to get excited about.
* 18 goals/33 assists in 135 apps (Goal every 452 mins/Assist every 246 mins)
* This season: 5 goals/1 assist in 21 games (1 every 241 mins).
* Never scored more than 8 goals in one season (all competitions) for PSG.
Is this worth the mega-fee Liverpool will inevitably have to pay to seal the deal? Absolutely not, IMO. A goal every 452 minutes is poor, and if Moura struggles to consistently score in French football, it's unlikely that he'll do any better in the Premier League.
As a comparison: Firmino - who is being criticised for his inconsistency - has a goal/assist every 187 minutes this season, which is better than Moura, so how does it make any sense to spend big bucks on a player with an inferior creative record? Thanks, but no thanks.
As I've argued repeatedly over the last 2 years, Andriy Yarmolenko - who has a comparatively small £14.5m buyout clause - is the answer:
* 182 goals/assists in 283 games for Dynamo Kiev (Goal/assist every 123 mins/1 every 1.3 games).
* Averages 25 goals/assists every season for the last 6 years.
* Last season: 41 goals/assists in 43 games. This season: 22 goals/assists in 22 games already.
* Missed only ONE game through injury for his entire career.
Yarmolenko represents the template for the type of attacking player Liverpool should be targeting: Experienced international; proven in the Champions League; Consistently prolific; rarely injured; tall and strong (to provide a contrast to the smaller attackers in the squad), and a proven ability to perform in crappy weather (an added bonus given UK weather).
£30m+ on Moura, or £14.5m on Yarmolenko? Give me a break. The answer is maddeningly obvious, and if Klopp pursues the Brazilian over Yarmolenko, then it'll prove that he's just as misguided in the transfer market as Brendan Rodgers.
Author: Jaimie K
According to Le10 Sport:
* Liverpool have 'made contact' with PSG to discuss the the possibility of a January deal
* Klopp is keen to sign the 23-year old attacker, and Moura allegedly wants to play for Klopp.
One of Liverpool's biggest problems is the consistent failure of the club's attacking midfielders to regularly score/create goals, and - like Lallana - Firmino seems to struggling to handle the pressure/expectation that comes with playing for Liverpool.
Would Moura be any different? On the plus side, the Brazilian - who cost PSG €45m - plays for one of Europe's biggest clubs, so he's experienced the pressure that comes with relentless expectation. However, his stats are nothing to get excited about.
* 18 goals/33 assists in 135 apps (Goal every 452 mins/Assist every 246 mins)
* This season: 5 goals/1 assist in 21 games (1 every 241 mins).
* Never scored more than 8 goals in one season (all competitions) for PSG.
Is this worth the mega-fee Liverpool will inevitably have to pay to seal the deal? Absolutely not, IMO. A goal every 452 minutes is poor, and if Moura struggles to consistently score in French football, it's unlikely that he'll do any better in the Premier League.
As a comparison: Firmino - who is being criticised for his inconsistency - has a goal/assist every 187 minutes this season, which is better than Moura, so how does it make any sense to spend big bucks on a player with an inferior creative record? Thanks, but no thanks.
As I've argued repeatedly over the last 2 years, Andriy Yarmolenko - who has a comparatively small £14.5m buyout clause - is the answer:
* 182 goals/assists in 283 games for Dynamo Kiev (Goal/assist every 123 mins/1 every 1.3 games).
* Averages 25 goals/assists every season for the last 6 years.
* Last season: 41 goals/assists in 43 games. This season: 22 goals/assists in 22 games already.
* Missed only ONE game through injury for his entire career.
Yarmolenko represents the template for the type of attacking player Liverpool should be targeting: Experienced international; proven in the Champions League; Consistently prolific; rarely injured; tall and strong (to provide a contrast to the smaller attackers in the squad), and a proven ability to perform in crappy weather (an added bonus given UK weather).
£30m+ on Moura, or £14.5m on Yarmolenko? Give me a break. The answer is maddeningly obvious, and if Klopp pursues the Brazilian over Yarmolenko, then it'll prove that he's just as misguided in the transfer market as Brendan Rodgers.
Author: Jaimie K
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