Revealed: The striker shortlist Liverpool boss should pick from
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As the old football saying goes, “a team is only ever as good as its strikers” and this was never more appropriately applied than at Liverpool, where a hopelessly blunt attack has left the Reds’ season in tatters.
The contrast from the previous campaign is real night and day stuff.
Replacing the heady days of the famed SAS partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, which contributed the lion’s share of 101 Premier League goals during 2013/14, is a strikeforce that has only chipped in 10 of a miserable overall tally of 47 before QPR’s visit.
Suarez’ departure and Sturridge’s prolonged absences have clearly tied Brendan Rodgers’ hands but don’t excuse his flawed contingency.
Three strikers he himself bought to Anfield, for a combined fee of £31m, have delivered a pathetic amount of four league strikes between them. (link to yesterday’s story with graphic)
Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert should all walk the Anfield plank this summer as a result and Rodgers must instead turn his attention to bringing in at least one of these three quality options instead:
Jackson Martinez – Porto
As with all three of these players, this will not be the first, nor the last time links to the Anfield outfit are made. Martinez has long been admired by the Premier League’s elite and the Colombian World Cup star rates the most glamorous, yet hardest to obtain, option for Rodgers. Following a third consecutive season topping the Portuguese top-flight’s scoring charts, he won’t come cheap.
Edin Dzeko – Manchester City
Although the Bosnian international can’t boast the same impressive goals totals of the past few seasons over a disappointing personal campaign, he’s also been marginalised by Manuel Pellegrini. After the arrival of Wilfried Bony, City’s number 10 has been strongly linked with a move to Inter, but Liverpool can capitalise on the Sky Blues’ apparent apathy towards a proven marksman.
Danny Ings – Burnley
Whatever the Clarets’ fate come the end of the season, it looks nailed on that their star man will seek pastures new. Rodgers is thought to be an admirer of the mobile goal-getter whose exploits at a struggling Premier League outfit suggest a bright future lies ahead of the 22-year-old.
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