It appears that Brendan Rodgers has a thing for the South Americans. Despite already bringing Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino to Anfield during his time at the club, the boss has told reporters that he’s open to working with more players from the continent due to their positive attitude.
“I do enjoy working with the South American players, because not only do they fight, not only do they want to win, not only are they professional in their work, they’ve got all the ability to match that,” he told our official website.
“Most of the guys that have worked with South American players really enjoyed working with them. He [Firmino] has that in abundance; he has the quality, the desire to score goals, but very importantly he has the will and the heart to fight for the team and that’s important.”
SEE MORE:
Ranking six ‘uninspiring’ Liverpool signings who proved to be brilliant
Brendan Rodgers and Kolo Toure talk pre-season, Aussie Rules, transfers and koalas
Christian Benteke closes in on Anfield move; terms agreed and medical date set
Well, you don’t have to tell us twice. Here are five other South Americans that could be the perfect fit for us:
5) Diego Rolan (Bordeaux & Uruguay)
This 22-year-old striker could be the man one day tasked with filling Luis Suarez’s sizeable shoes. He’s scored a respectable 17 league goals in his first two league games with his French employers, while he found the net in a Uruguay shirt for the first time in the build-up to the 2015 Copa America tournament. He wore Suarez’s number nine shirt for the competition itself, with the former Red suspended, but failed to help them defend their title.
4) Gary Medel (Inter Milan & Chile)
Medel has already spent a fairly forgettable year in the Premier League with Cardiff City, who were of course relegated after their first season back in the top flight, but his performances for Sevilla, Inter Milan and Chile have proved what he’s capable of. The fearsome midfielder, who’s known as the ‘Chilean Pitbull’ due to his no nonsense style of play, was an integral part of his nation’s side which won the Copa America on home soil this summer.
3) Salomon Rondon (Zenit Saint Petersburg & Venezuela)
The Zenit man has slipped down Liverpool’s wanted list following the arrivals of Danny Ings, Divock Origi and the imminent signing of Christian Benteke, but there’s nothing to suggest that we might not return for him in the future if he continues to do the business. The 25-year-old has scored 20 goals in his first 36 league games with the Russian side, having joined them mid-way through the 2013-14 season, and could see his future in England.
2) Filipe Luis (Chelsea & Brazil)
With Liverpool arguably short of a senior defender, particularly one of the left hand side of defence, we could do a lot worse than taking a look at Chelsea’s out of favour veteran. The 29-year-old was a Champions League finalist a little more than twelve months ago and could prove to be a useful mentor for the likes of Alberto Moreno, Joe Gomez and Jon Flanagan, once he has returned from injury. He’d also be the fourth Brazilian player in our side.
1) Javier Pastore (Paris Saint Germain & Argentina)
A bit hopeful perhaps, but if there’s one thing our squad is still short of, it’s a midfield playmaker capable of filling the void left by the departure of Steven Gerrard. Pastore has been in and out of the PSG team over the years and could perhaps be tempted into making the move to England. The 26-year-old has scored 20 league goals in 115 games since joining the French giants in 2011, while he’s also netted twice in 25 games for Argentina.
