New no.1 striker target will cost £21.5m, and no less

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Liverpool have been told by Europa League champions Sevilla that they’ll only accept an offer for star Colombian forward Carlos Bacca that meets his £21.5m release clause, the Daily Mail reports.

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The 28-year-old has emerged as one of Europe’s most deadly in recent seasons – bettering 20 goals in the past three – first with Club Brugge in Belgium, then twice with Sevilla in Spain. His 28 in all competitions last time out fired Los Rojiblancos to a consecutive Europa League, and announced his striking talents to the world.

But Sevilla’s sporting director Monchi is adamant that his club will do their utmost to keep hold of the forward, currently on international duty at the Copa America.

“If someone wants Bacca, they have to pay his clause. He’s told us that it’s his desire to stay with the club and I don’t see any other possibility,” he began.

“Bacca’s contract includes obligations for the club and the player, but if a club wants to pay his clause, there’s nothing we can do about that.

“I really think he’ll stay here because the player and Sevilla want it so. We have no intention of selling him.”

The report claims that with Christian Benteke’s £32.5m release clause deemed unrealistic by Liverpool officials, Bacca has emerged as a key target.

Anything over £20m for a man approaching his 29th birthday though seems expensive. We’ve seen the decline of Bacca’s compatriot Radamel Falcao who is a similar age, as well as similarly aged strikers who’ve moved to the Premier League for big money – such as Roberto Soldado and Andriy Shevchenko.

Still, we desperately need a new striker, so it’s arguably a risk worth taking.

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