Reds should enter the free transfer market to boost the squad…
This year, perhaps more than any other in recent memory, there’s a number of players who are choosing to run down their contracts in order to secure lucrative deals at new clubs in the summer…
For Liverpool, this means that players of real European pedigree are available for free, meaning our expense to secure them would solely be the wage packet.
Here’s ten players that Liverpool should definitely be considering offering contracts to right now – as they’re all available to be approached freely due to the Bosman ruling.
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10) Yevhen Konoplyanka – Dnipro
This time last year, we were prepared to pay up to £15m to secure the Ukrainian winger to aid the title push, but disagreements with the Dnipro chairman meant we couldn’t seal a deal on January’s deadline day. Now, when he’s available for free – we seem entirely uninterested. Strange, no? Konoplyanka is still only 25-years-old, and has certainly not deteriorated since 2014. He’s a natural wide-man, and we actually have none of those in the squad, right now.
9) Andre Ayew – Marseille
Ayew has long been linked to Liverpool, based on his excellent performances in Ligue 1 for Marseille. The 25-year-old Ghanaian is a fixture in the side that currently sits 2nd in the French table, and he’s probably the best Bosman available from the country. Ayew can play on the left or centrally – and is happy to play offensive or more withdrawn roles. His physicality is a primary asset, and Brendan Rodgers would no doubt admire his consistent defensive contribution.
8) Dani Alves – Barcelona
The legendary Brazilian fullback is past his peak at 31-years-old, and his wages could potentially be a stumbling block – but he’s still an automatic starter for one of the best club sides in the world, and still has a terrific engine, too. If we continued with our current wing-back formation, Alves would thrive down the right – as his ability to get forward and create from a defensive starting position has been practically unrivalled over the past decade.
7) Andrea Ranocchia – Inter Milan
Italian international defenders are usually pretty good, (barring Andrea Dosenna, perhaps). A former target of Chelsea, 26-year-old Ranocchia stands at 6 ft. 5″, and has won 17 caps for his country since 2010. He captains Inter Milan, meaning he would provide us with the leadership we desperately need at the back. Technically, he’s solid – but it’s his physicality and aerial dominance that should make him a Liverpool target. And for free…? It’s a no-brainer.
6) Nigel de Jong – AC Milan
The multi-capped Dutch international has won a Premier League title, and provides a consistently solid platform at the base of midfield for both club and country. De Jong is 30-years-old, loves a tackle, and prides himself on his ability to win a midfield battle. Lucas does this job for us, but De Jong is slightly more dynamic, and against bigger sides, he could line up alongside the Brazilian to form a rigid midfield base.
5) Ignazio Abate – AC Milan
Another Italian defender on our list, Abate is entering his prime aged 28, and is seemingly going to let his contract run down until the summer. He was once rated as one of the most promising young fullbacks on the planet, and while he’s not developed into the world-class fullback some expected, Abate is still good enough to play for a top club. He passes the ball well from right-back, and makes few defensive errors – something our current back-line could learn from.
4) Fabian Schar – FC Basel
The 23-year-old Swiss international has previously interested Arsenal, Manchester United and ourselves, and his maturity in the key defensive position at such a young age is noticeable. Schar is a fixture in Basel’s side, and prides himself on his ability with the ball at his feet, his technical skills and his positioning rather than old-fashioned defensive characteristics like tackling, clearing and heading. Still, for no transfer fee – he’s worth a punt.
3) James Milner – Manchester City
Along with Fabian Delph (who hasn’t made our list…) Milner is the Bosman transfer we’ve been most heavily linked to, with Rodgers admitting that the 29-year-old England international is, ‘a wonderful player’. Milner’s experience, his versatility and his practically incomparable work-rate should make him a target, despite his potentially large wages.
2) Luiz Adriano – Shakhtar
The 27-year-old has consistently scored goals in Ukraine since arriving at Shakhtar way back in 2007 from home-town Brazilian club Internacional. In that time, he’s plundered 102 league goals, and 33 in Europe. During the 2013/14 campaign, Luiz Adriano bagged 43 goals in all, and has notched nine already in this season’s Champions League! That’s clinical striking statistics. His form earned him Brazilian caps in 2014, and frankly, considering our current striker woes – we’d be crazy not to offer him a contract.
1) Sami Khedira – Real Madrid
The best player in Europe available for nothing, by some margin. In 2014, Khedira won a Champions League with Real Madrid and a World Cup with Germany, highlighting his elite credentials. With Steven Gerrard exiting, signing the 27-year-old would ease the pain of our legendary skipper’s departure, and provide a powerful, reliable midfield option – boosting us defensively and offensively. There’d naturally be big competition for his services, but there’s no reason why we couldn’t secure him if we moved heaven and earth to do so.
