Another big-hitter linked as Liverpool set to miss out on Willian

Brendan Rodgers clearly wants at least one more attacker to sign for Liverpool this summer and it is the name of Andriy Yarmolenko that has now been linked, given that they appear to have lost out to Tottenham in the chase of Willian.

The fact that Yarmolenko was once described by Andriy Shevchenko as the “future of Ukrainian football” offers some insight into how talented the 23-year-old is and he has already surpassed 30 international caps for his country.

A wide forward would be a big help to Liverpool as it would potentially allow Rodgers to implement his chosen tactic of playing Philippe Coutinho centrally, rather than off the left flank.

Yarmolenko is most naturally at home on the right flank, as this gives him the ability to cut inside onto his stronger foot, either to create chances or to shoot from distance.

This would not make him an ideal replacement for Coutinho on the left, but it doesn’t mean that he couldn’t play there, while there is also the option of switching Iago Aspas to the opposite flank or even playing Luis Suarez in that position if he remains after the closing of the summer transfer window.

The one big issue is whether Yarmolenko is worth his touted asking price of £20m, despite being known for a solid work rate, alongside good strength and speed.

Fellow Ukrainian Yevhen Konoplianka would perhaps be a cheaper alternative from Dnipro, who was the Ukrainian player of the year for 2012 and is more naturally at home on the left side.

Either way, another attacking midfield option would not go amiss at Liverpool as they look to justify odds of 6/4 to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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