Former Chelsea star attracting Liverpool and Tottenham interest
Liverpool have cast their net further afield in the search for an experienced wide man, with former Chelsea winger Salomon Kalou the latest name to be linked with a switch to Anfield.
Current club Lille are thought to be willing to let the 28-year-old leave for as little as £2.5m and, understandably, there’s plenty of competition for his signature.
Tottenham and Arsenal are believed to be keen on bringing the one-time Chelsea man back to London, while Roma and Beskitas have been credited with an interest from abroad.
The Ivorian star’s preferred destination is allegedly England though and, of the three leading Premier League teams in the chase, it is Liverpool where he’ll find the best chance of game time, as opposed to the over-stocked squads of Arsenal and, especially, Spurs.
Kalou bagged a brace on his return from winter hiatus, firing Lille to a 3-1 victory over Amiens in the French Cup.
This pair of strikes took his total for the season up to eight, a decent haul for a winger and it’s this increased goal threat that makes him a perfect fit for Liverpool, where goals from midfield aren’t as plentiful as they could be.
Having registered 37 top tier strikes during his five-year stint in west London, Kalou wouldn’t require any adapting to the Premier League. This issue gives him a big advantage over the man thought to be topping Brendan Rodgers’ January shopping list, Basel’s Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian international is the bigger talent, but would cost much more and, with Liverpool needing instant results from whoever they draft in as they hope to maintain their top four challenge, signing Salah may not be a smart move in the short term, particularly if they’re operating off a tight budget.
As it stands, Reds’ odds to finish in the top four this season stand at 8/11, while they can be backed at 9/1 to win the title.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
