da bet7： Finally, after months and months of speculation and bizarre actions, Raheem Sterling’s transfer saga appears to be over. Manchester City have finally relented and agreed to pay close to the Reds’ £50m valuation – £44m plus up to £5m in add-ons – ending an increasingly tedious ‘will he, won’t he’ back and forth.
da betano casino： Through Sterling’s increasingly devious and nasty actions his talent has somewhat slipped under the radar, with Liverpool fans seemingly forgetting that he’s one of the best youngsters on the planet thanks to the way he has treated their club. Although players act in such a way all the time to force transfers, it wasn’t long ago that Brendan Rodgers let the 20-year-old leave for a mid-season holiday to recharge his batteries and the Merseysiders have offered him a vast salary to stay put.
So the money coming in must be used for additions, right? Perhaps, and here are FIVE ways Liverpool could invest their new windfall…
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A direct replacement
With Sterling gone, Liverpool have lost one more option in the attacking line behind a striker (presuming Rodgers is going back to a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 hybrid formation from the 3-4-3 of the latter half of 2014/15. As such, when one goes, it makes sense to get in a replacement, yes? Well, there are options out there, with Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus being mooted as an extremely ambitious target, while players such as Denis Cheryshev – albeit reports have suggested that interest is not as strong as initially believed – and Pedro have been floated.
All three, with varying levels of potential success, could fill the void, but do Liverpool actually need to invest in this area? Even with Sterling gone, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho, Lazar Markovic and Divock Origi are all thought to be ‘No.10’s or wide attackers, and in Jordon Ibe the club have, on the surface, a youngster very much in the mould of the departed Merseyside star, so Rodgers has plenty of options.
A striker
Without doubt Liverpool were lacking up front last season. 52 goals scored saw the Reds end the campaign as the least prolific side in the Premier League’s top seven, and with Steven Gerrard – now playing for LA Galaxy – the highest scorer with nine – not even double figures – it’s clear that Rodgers needs a forward to finish off the chances created by the likes of Coutinho and Lallana.
Reports suggesting that the bulk of the Sterling fee will be sent to Aston Villa for Christian Benteke have surfaced in the past 24 hours, while, perhaps, a better fit could be Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon – who notched 31 goals in all competitions for his side last term.
Repair the backline
A criticism long aimed at Rodgers’ Liverpool has been the porous nature of their backline. The 48 conceded count in the league of last term was somewhat skewed by the nine shipped against Stoke and Crystal Palace in the last two matches of the campaign – they could have been around the same level as Manchester United and Manchester City without the collapse – with Rodgers’ switch to a back three working wonders.
However, those goals were shipped and with the Reds having, effectively, lost the title due to the leaky nature of their rearguard in 2013/14, there’s clearly work to be done. Martin Skrtel appears to be a nailed on starter, but with Dejan Lovren struggling for form and Mamadou Sakho unable to maintain a real run of fitness, a commanding centre-back could be a wise purchase. Also, a left-back to offer competition for the erratic Alberto Moreno may be worth consideration.
Invest in youngsters
Rodgers could rely on the players he has now as senior stars and look at younger talent to build for the future. Although the Markovic gamble has not quite worked out yet –his second season in England should give a greater indication of his true ability – following the same approach could be an idea. When players hit their prime, or near prime, Liverpool tend to struggle to compete with the ‘big boys’ financially, so moving early is a viable alternative – albeit a risky one.
Although merely speculating, stars such as Anthony Martial, Hakan Calhanoglu and Mateo Kovacic are upcoming talents, who could be procured for relatively small fees.
Don’t spend it
There is a valid argument to suggest that Liverpool don’t actually need to invest any more this summer. Simon Mignolet is covered in goal by Adam Bogdan, Rodgers has four senior centre-backs to choose from, two attack-minded full-backs are supported by youngsters, James Milner and Jordan Henderson appear to have been tasked with replacing Steven Gerrard, Coutinho offers creativity from a central position, Roberto Firmino can slot in for Sterling and, if he can be kept fit, Daniel Sturridge is a prolific goalscorer, and is supported by Danny Ings and Mario Balotelli.
All of the business so far comes in at around the fee to be received for Sterling – minus QPR’s 20% – and with no Champions League football as well as a big spend last year, maybe it would be wise financially to avoid more lavish spending.