Four players already brought in this summer and here’s another five on the Anfield radar.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been busy re-building the clubs squad this summer following a disappointing 7th place finish in the Premier League. Although Rodgers has already signed the likes of Luis Alberto and Simon Mignolet, the Reds are still in the market for several quality players that can play in a wide variety of positions. Qualifying for the Champions league is Liverpool’s goal for next season and here are five players who could help them do that.
Ashley Williams- Swansea City
Williams has been at the heart of Swansea’s recent success and helped the club win the League Cup in February, beating Bradford City in the final. The Swans also managed to finish in the top half of the Premier League and Williams performances contributed a huge amount to that. Despite his success at Swansea, Williams could be leaving the Welsh club this summer in search of another challenge. It is believed that the player would like to play for one of the Premier League’s big clubs while he is still at his best. Williams is nearly 29 and wants to enjoy his time at the top while he still can. Liverpool have been heavily linked with the centre-back and Brendan Rodgers knows all about Williams, having managed him during his time as Swansea manager.
Liverpool let in a lot of sloppy goals last season and with Jamie Carragher retiring, their is a hole in Liverpool’s defence. Rodgers thinks that Williams would be the ideal man to strengthen his defence this summer and Williams would certainly enjoy working with his former manager. However, Swansea don’t want to let their captain leave the club, especially as they are about to embark on European football and it will take a £10 million bid for the Swans to even consider selling Williams. Liverpool are unwilling to pay that amount and are hoping that Swansea lower their asking price for the defender. Liverpool also have competition for Williams, coming from Arsenal, Everton and Italian club Napoli. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is a huge admirer of Williams and has been tracking the Welshman for most of the season.
He may now make a move for the defender as Thomas Vermaelen will miss the start of the new season. Napoli’s manager Rafa Benitez was impressed with Williams when he saw him play while he was Chelsea boss and could bring the Welshman to Italy while Everton manager Roberto Martinez managed Williams while he was Swansea boss. Liverpool nearly signed Williams last summer and will hope that despite all the interest in the defender, they will be more lucky this summer.
Christian Eriksen- Ajax
Liverpool have been tracking Eriksen for awhile now and were thought to be close to making a move for the Dane last summer but they were priced out of it by Ajax. It looks as though they will make an attempt to sign Eriksen this summer however, with the midfielders contract only having one year left to run on it. Reports suggest that Eriksen could be available for around £15 million, a cheap price considering the potential that he has. The Danish international is one of the most highly rated play-makers in Europe and has been linked with many of the continents top clubs, meaning Liverpool will face plenty of competition if they decide to make a move for him. Reports suggest that Eriksen is interested in a move away from Ajax and he has been encouraged by several former players to leave the Dutch league and play at a higher level.
The Dane is also interested in Liverpool, liking the history and the prestige of the club. However, Eriksen is likely to want to play in the Champions League, which is something that the Reds can’t offer him at the moment. However, Brendan Rodgers maybe able to persuade Eriksen that Anfield is the right place for him, as the midfielder would suit Liverpool’s playing style under Rodgers. The Welshman could also say that the club are aiming to be in Champions League and with Eriksen at the club, the possibility of a top four finish is much more likely. Borussia Dortmund were thought to have interest in Eriksen, seeing him as a replacement for Mario Gotze, who left for Bayern Munich in April. However, they have since signed Henrikh Mkhitaryan, meaning Liverpool might be free to pursue a move for the Danish midfielder.
Bernard- Athletico Minero
The 20 year old is one of many highly rated Brazilian midfielders and has been strongly linked with a move to Europe this summer. Many of Bernard’s countrymen now play in Europe, so it is easy to assume that sooner or later, Bernard will make the move that many other Brazilians have made. Bernard was part of Brazil’s Confederations Cup squad and impressed many of the scouts that were sent by top teams, including scouts from Liverpool. The Reds may now turn their attentions to Bernard as they have missed out on one of their top transfer targets, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who choose a move to Borussia Dortmund over Liverpool.
Like Mkhitaryan, Bernard is a play-maker and Brendan Rodgers is desperate to sign a quality midfielder that can help the club break into the Premier League’s top four. Most of the top clubs in the Premier League have a player who can open up opposition defences and now Mkhitaryan is out of the question, Rodgers may turn to Bernard. Spurs were also understood to be interested in the Brazilian but they recently signed another Brazilian, Paulinho, meaning they do not need another central midfielder. This has left Liverpool with the opportunity to entice Bernard to Anfield and the midfielder will reportedly be available for between £15-20 million, less than what Liverpool would have paid had they been successful signing Mkhitaryan. Liverpool are quite willing to spend big money on a player this summer having recently sold Andy Carroll for £15.5 million and Bernard could now become their main transfer target as the summer progresses.
Xabi Alonso- Real Madrid
Alonso was one of Liverpool’s finest players during his time at Anfield, being able to play in the deep lying midfield position and control a game for the Reds. When he left for Real Madrid, Liverpool weren’t the same team and they started their slide down the Premier League table. While at Madrid, Alonso has been a success, being the midfielder that Jose Mourinho always starts with. However, the Portuguese coach has now left Madrid for Chelsea and that has led to speculation that Alonso may move away from the Spanish capital this summer. The Spaniard only has one year left on his current contract at Madrid and the player isn’t sure of a first team spot at the club for next season with many new arrivals being brought it by Carlo Ancelotti.
Although reports suggest that Ancelotti is a fan of Alonso, he won’t stand in the midfielders way if he decides to leave. A return to Liverpool is thought to be on the cards, with fans of the Reds ready to welcome Alonso back with open arms. Liverpool have missed a player that can boss their midfield ever since Alonso left and Liverpool’s young midfielders could learn a lot from a player like Alonso. The Spaniard knows the ins and outs of the Premier League as well and would be highly effective back in his deep lying midfield role. However, Liverpool will face competition for the Spanaird, with Jose Mourinho thought to be readying a bid for the midfielder. Mourinho and Alonso formed a strong relationship during their time at Real Madrid and the Portuguese coach is thought to be considering bringing Alonso to Stamford Bridge to give his midfield more creativity.
Liverpool will hope that the lure of Anfield will be enough to persuade Alonso to come back to the club, although the Reds won’t be able to offer the Spaniard Champions League football. Reports suggest that the midfielder could be available for around £10 million, a small price to pay for a player who has experience and bags of quality.
Christan Benteke- Aston Villa
The race for Aston Villa’s Christan Benteke has hoted up in recent days, with the revelation that Benteke has handed in a transfer request at Villa Park. The striker had a fantastic debut season in the Premier League, scoring 19 league goals that helped Villa stay in England’s top flight when at times it looked like they might be relegated. Even before the season ended, many thought that Benteke would leave the Birmingham based club for a team nearer the top end of the Premier League.
That speculation has only mounted since he submitted his transfer request to manager Paul Lambert, with many pundits speculating about where the Belgian international will be playing next season. One possible destination is Liverpool, with Brendan Rodgers eager to add a quality goal scorer to his squad for next season. Liverpool struggled to score enough goals last season, relying to much on Luis Suarez and Rodgers is eager to address that problem this summer. There is the possibility that Suarez could leave Anfield this summer, with Arsenal and Real Madrid a possible destination, so Benteke maybe seen as a replacement for Suarez by Rodgers, although the Welsh manager would dearly love to partner the two together next season. However, plenty of other teams are interested in Benteke, with Tottenham and Chelsea thought to be front runners for his signature.
The Belgian striker is thought to be eyeing up a move to Spurs but could be persuaded that his future lies at Anfield by Rodgers. Benteke would get the first team football that he craves and their is also the possibility of Liverpool qualifying for the Champions League next season. Aston Villa are currently demanding £25 million for Benteke, a price which Liverpool are unlikely to pay. Villa will do everything to keep the striker at the club next season and putting a huge price tag on him will ward off interest. However, Liverpool may decide to wait until nearer the start of the season before making a move for Benteke, something which Spurs are also considering.