More candidates for our defence…and one to patrol just in front of it!

Posted by

It seems that the articles regarding possible candidates in the squad rebuilding process are generating interest so the intention is to keep bringing more and more to your attention. All the players in question have been someone or other linked to the Reds, but their inclusion means that there is a possibility that the Reds might, in effect, make an offer for them. Players who seem to be a ‘long shot’ will not be included. In comments made by you, I have read Brede Hangeland mentioned a few times, but I have refrained from including him (so far) only because of his age. The lanky American-born Norwegian will be 30 come next June. That does not make him old; however I feel there are a few more candidates that can come in for the long run and that may offer just as much quality. Here are three more possible candidates for you to comment on.

Fábio Alexandre da Silva Coentrão (23 next month) is considered to be one of the best attacking left-backs in european football today. The Portuguese international currently plays for Benfica, which he chose in place amongst other contenders for his signature such as Real Madrid, Real Madrid and Chelsea in 2007 (he was loaned out in Portugal and Spain and only established a first team regular place in 2009), and recently signed a contract extension until 2016 which will most certainly have an effect on the asking price for his services.

Per Mertesacker is rumoured to be on the move this summer from German giants Werder Bremen. The 26 year old 6ft 6’ central defender for club and country is very much admired by Arsenal and the usual suspects in Serie A. For a lad of his size and height, he is deemed to be very good with the ball and also extremely effective in offensive set pieces. Werder Bremen has set a price tag in the Stg 10 million region, however, this amount will surely not fend off interest from Europe’s top clubs. It is said that Damien Comolli has set his sights on the lanky german with a view to making an offer and bring him to Anfield. Would not be a bad substitute for Kyrgiakos now would he??? Arsenal could give us a run for our money on this one!

Blaise Matuidi is a 23 year old French midfield enforcer currently playing for St.Etienne and is being closely monitored by Liverpool’s Damien Comolli. Reports claim that holding midfielder is on the wish-list of at least another four clubs namely Juve, Roma and Fiorentina in the Serie A, and Schalke in the Bundesliga. St.Etienne value the rising star at Euro 10 million which is not a prohibitive figure for the Reds nowadays. Matuidi has gone up the French Under ranks as has recently been called up to the senior squad by new France manager Laurent Blanc, and is the French club’s captain. Perhaps this is the kind of player one may make a like-for-like comparison with Mascherano. In essence he is a deep lying midfielder with the qualities of a retreated playmaker. If the Reds pursue this talent, given Comolli’s knowledge of the French scene and his contacts at St.Etienne (where we worked between 2004 and 2005), there is a very good possibility that we may fend off other pretenders for his signature.

20 Comments

  1. i’d go for Matuidi & Coentrao right away!

    We have soto, jamie, Agger & Skrtel who should blend in Wilson, Ayala & Coady who need opportunities now too!

  2. @ Collinz! I know that Everton are in dire straits financially, but do you think they’d sell to us? They will sell for sure as it seems they have no other alternative. We should have got the lad ourselves BEFORE he went to Everton.

  3. three signings honda attacking left to play with suarez and carrol, coentrao for left back and hummels from dortmand for centre back only 22 and looks quality.

  4. I would like Matuidi of these two. Somehow I have the feeling that Coentrao is not quite right not to mention I believe the asking price would be inflated and we all know where long drawnout and tedious processes take us?

  5. go and buy taiwo for left back and conterao for left or right wing please and also sign arda tudan also please this what we need to be back on top

  6. Coentrao is a good player but im happy defensively at present. Soto, Agger and Carra are good defenders along with Wilson and Ayala we are good in this area. Johnson is playing well along with Kelly so leave it alone, we need a creative left-winger and another striker to work with Suarez and Carroll………..

  7. I know you shouldn’t judge on a TV performance , even a full ninety minutes in the Europa League on Thursday night , but
    Coentrao was dreadful in defence against Stuttgart , very lightweight , going forward he looks quite decent .

  8. we should just buy Mertesacher. Carra and Soto are aging. We may not be having Carra in 2 years tym and Soto wil be 32 then. So we need a Centre back who isnt 2 young or too old. Thats the german. He is experianced enuf to handle the EPL.
    WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR INTEREST IN CHARLIE ADAM. HE SHOULD BE PLAYING 4 US NW

  9. Our Club need to clear out 11 dead wood players we have at the club: Krygiakos CB, Koncheskey LB, Insua LB, Aurelio(Great Player but 80% of season is on treatment table)LB, Poulsen DM/CM, Lucas CM/DM,Jovanovic LW/RW/AM, J Cole AM/RW/LW, M Rodriguez RW/LW/AM, D Ngog FD and D Kuyt RW/FD.

    D Kuyt is a loyal servant and works hard,battles,Gives it his all, Very High stamina,High work rate and fight is there for all to see but he offers very little going forward as a right winger or as a forward at the club. What we desperately lack is width,speed,pace,creativity, class, quality and cutting edge out wide, excitement and goals from the wings.

    Lucas has improved over the years but he is average at best, when our club was doing well in the league and well in champions league, there was a time when we had 4 solid, tough, class, quality defensive midfielders competing with one another to play for our club: Hamman,Sissoko,Alonso and Mascherano.

    They were all class quality great defensive midfielders who left their mark in the centre of park no matter what opposition the club were up against.

    And we need two defensive midfielders brought in,to compete with one another for the defensive midfield position at the club: Hopefully King Kenny can bring back Momo Sissoko From Juventus (26) and(23) Matuidi Of St Etienne.

    A Wiser, Older, more experienced Sissoko back at Anfield would be amazing and Matuidi would learn from Sissoko and compete with him for the Defensive midfield position.

    They Both would protect the back 4 and dominate in the centre of the park.

    Then Out of the 11 dead wood players mentioned: 4 of them are defenders,also Carragher has a year or two at best left playing.

    So 4 Defenders should be brought in:

    A Centre Back: S Kjaer Of Wolfsburg, G Cahill Of Bolton Or R Shawcross Of Stoke should be brought to club for £8-£15M CB

    2 Left Back: Coentrao Of Benfica and Taiwo Of Marseille should be brought to club. for a combined total £16M LB

    A Versatile defender: Someone who can play at centre back and in the full back positions: Micah Richards Of Man City shold be brought to Club for £12-£15M. RB/CB/LB

  10. @ waragah08. Charlie Adams’ move has been put on ice until summer I suspect. That would give Blackpool time to sell if they don’t stay up, and find a potential substitute if they do. But they WILL sell Adam as they will get some decent money for him and Ian Holloway has a cut on that! :-)

  11. I would gladly exchange Soto, Skrtel and Agger for Mertesacker. He’s tall, good on the ball, strong on both short and long passes, very fair player (he’s been sent off only once in his entire carreer – and he’s a deffender) and with a golden character. Per is one of the three players I would really love to see wearing the red shirt next season, alongside Coentrao and Hazard.

    As for a deffensive midfielder, I would go for Yann M’vila, although my pipe dream would be Sami Khedira filling in that role.

  12. if I can ask for a “profile” on two players.. Eden Hazard and Alan Dzagoev. Two of the most exciting prospects in football right now. I don’t think we’ve been linked to Dzagoev, but seen a lot about us fighting Arsenal for Hazard.

  13. Hazard/Turan/Taiwo/Matuidi/Banega/L. Diarra/Honda are players I’d love to see in the red. I’ve been a fan of Honda and Turan for years and I think they are realistic signings for us in the summer, along with Taiwo. I won’t get hopeful about the others unless anything develops towards the summer.

    Soto runs out of contract soon so a big CB replacement could be on the cards. Carra and Kuyt are ageing but I’d like to see both finish their careers with the reds. There is speculation of Kuyt being offered an extension that will see him end his career with us.

Comments are closed