There have been a couple of big rumours this weekend regarding Liverpool and potential midfield signings. And no, we’re not talking about Andrea Pirlo. We’re talking about Mateo Kovacic and Geoffrey Kondogbia.
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While we’re yet to spot anything concrete in terms of making an offer for someone, Brendan Rodgers is clearly beginning to ramp up his interest in potential targets ahead of the summer transfer window.
Steven Gerrard has just a couple of games to go ahead of his move to LA Galaxy and it seems a near certainty that someone will come in before the start of next season to take his place. Jordan Henderson, Lucas Leiva, Joe Allen and Emre Can are the only other senior names currently on the books and we’ll surely be after some strength in depth.
Here are the top six candidates we’d like to see us go for…
Miralem Pjanic (AS Roma)
The 25-year-old Bosnian is one of the most renowned playmakers in world football. Since joining the Italian club in 2011 he’s helped move them up the Serie A table, culminating in last year’s second place finish, and won the chance to shine on the European stage. He’s played 139 games, scoring 18 goals. There are question marks over his mentality and his attitude (via the Mirror), although it appears that’s partly down to frustration at his side’s lack of progress. It would be interesting to see how he’d adapt to the much quicker nature of the Premier League.
James Milner (Manchester City)
A free agent at the end of the season and comfortably the cheapest potential addition for us on this list. The versatile 29-year-old who can also play out wide and in a more attacking role through the middle, has played 144 league games since joining City in 2010, winning the league twice. He has 53 caps for England and is on the hunt for first-team football. While he might have to put up with being moved around quite a lot, we could see him playing a fairly major role at Anfield for a couple of seasons. It’s a short-term solution, but he’s better than no one.
Mateo Kovacic (Inter Milan)
A more defensive-minded player but one with a lot of potential. Imagine playing this guy alongside Emre Can in a few years? He had played in an advanced role as well and has even operated out wide on the left on a couple of occasions. The 21-year-old Croatian has already picked up 19 caps for his country and 76 appearances in Serie A. Inter value the player highly but could conceivably be forced into a sale following their recent problems with Financial Fair Play (via Sky Sports). Interestingly, both Roma and Monaco were also punished.
Geoffrey Kondogbia (AS Monaco)
Another comparative youngster. The 22-year-old Frenchman shot to prominence in this country after scoring against Arsenal in the Champions League earlier this season. In truth, there’s a lot more to him than that. A combative and powerful player who acts as the metaphorical engine of his current side, he’s already a three-time international and has experience of playing in La Liga, as well as Ligue 1. Having joined Monaco from Sevilla in 2013, he’s since made 46 league appearances and scored twice. He won the Under-20 World Cup in 2013.
Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord)
Not many people had heard of him prior to last summer’s World Cup. He surprised many critics by signing a new contract with Feyenoord soon after the tournament, citing his need to continue his development in Holland. However, with another years worth of experience – which has included a Europa League campaign – under his belt, maybe now could be the time for the 23-year-old to look at moving on. A popular player and captain for his club side, he’d bring some much needed authority to a Liverpool side that arguably lacks a little bit of leadership.
Yohan Cabaye (Paris Saint Germain)
An experienced player who has played in the Premier League before, with Newcastle United between 2011 and 2014. He’s struggled to make much of an impact in the French capital and is anxious to secure a more regular first-team role to protect his chances of playing at Euro 2016 next summer. He’s played 38 times for his country, scoring three times. His PSG career has so far included 53 appearances and three goals. He shone with the Magpies but he’d only be a short-term solution on Merseyside, especially at 29 years of age. A last resort really.
