Dirk Kuyt has left Liverpoool for Fenerbache after six seasons on Merseyside. The 31 year old relentless Dutchman paves the way for what could be a mini exodus of highly paid stars out of Anfield, not even waiting to have a word in private with the new manager!
With Maxi Rodriguez almost certainly leaving and with Joe Cole and Alberto Aquiliani set for crunch talks with Brendan Rodgers, it seems highly likely that this trio could join Kuyt in pastures new. With Aquilani reluctant to leave the Serie A and the other three players mentioned in their early thirties, the Reds could find this solution refreshing in more way than one! Not only will this pave the way for the arrival of new blood, it will also drastically reduce the wage bill as this quartet are probably small change short of netting Stg 500,000 a week between them!
I doubt very much that any of the players signed during Kenny’s tenure will be shown the door; on the contrary those that did not live up to expectations last season will be given another chance to redeem themselves. Personally I do not see much more outward movement if not players going out on loan to gain experience, but there will be players coming in!
Our defense seems to be sorted with multiple options available to fill in for injured or suspended players. Our holding midfield will welcome the much missed Lucas Leiva back and perhaps Steven Gerrard should play a la Xavi Hernandez in dictating and implementing the latest ‘tika taka’ cliché which Brendan Rodgers favours so much.
Granted that Bellamy is still phenomenal despite his age, and that Downing will be on the ‘redemption regime’, the left flank seems covered as well. What I think we really need are: a talented attacking midfielder (unless Aquilani does a ‘prodigal son’ return), an out and out left winger (Adam Johnson?), and a striker that slots it in the back of the net even with his eyes closed (Clint Dempsey?). Alternatively to Aquilani, Suarez and Coates would not do any harm in convincing the extremely talented and highly rated fellow-countryman Gaston Ramirez to join the Reds from Bologna!
Guys forget the Cavani and Hazard type of targets which are totally unrealistic for the Reds. Those are players for the Man City and Chelsea model, they are not for the model Liverpool Football Club is after which is self-sustainability which makes commercial sense and which is more in line with the up and coming Fair Play rules. We need to be realistic! We need to spend wisely! We need to buy players that want to play for LFC and that suit the new style of game we will present next season!