Could these players actually prove better than Sterling?
With news that Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling is not any closer to signing a new contract at Anfield, these could be worrying times for the Reds, though there are players out there who could be available and would actually arguably offer more to Brendan Rodgers’ side.
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For all the hype surrounding the 20-year-old, largely based on a few months of admittedly superb form towards the end of last season and the start of this, Sterling only has three goals and four assists this season – hardly mind-blowing numbers. All three of the England international’s strikes came before October and he is now one of many culpable players in a Liverpool side that is struggling badly to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
There’s no doubt there is a special talent in there somewhere, and one that will only improve over time, but it’s still worth putting things into perspective; Liverpool could bring in a lot of cash from Sterling’s sale and sign more polished players on the cheap, five possible, realistic examples we list below:
1) Andre Schurrle (Chelsea)
Recently linked with a £25m move to Liverpool, Andre Schurrle has struggled for regular games at Chelsea, but remains a top player when he does feature, and one who has still managed to work his way into the immensely talented German national team on a fairly regular basis, looking particularly impressive at this summer’s World Cup when he set up Mario Gotze’s winner in the final against Argentina.
2) Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich)
A player tipped to be moving this January, Xherdan Shaqiri extremely unfortunate to find himself behind so many top quality attacking players at Bayern Munich. The Swiss international was once regarded as one of Europe’s top young talents, and could still achieve his potential if given more of a chance. Liverpool are one of the clubs interested and this could end up being a great move from both sides’ perspectives.
3) Marek Hamsik (Napoli)
Another proven attacking midfield player with a great career of consistent goals and assists behind him, Napoli’s Marek Hamsik was linked with Liverpool earlier this season and would make a fine addition at Anfield. The Slovakain international has been a top performer with the kind of consistency and experience that Sterling can’t really offer, and could move on the cheap after reports that his club are ready to sell for the right price.
4) Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica)
A player who has been linked with Liverpool and other top clubs in the past, Nicolas Gaitan has a release clause worth £27.5m, which is not a bad price to pay for a classy, creative and skillful Argentine winger who has won honours and generally impressed greatly in the Portuguese top flight, showing that he could surely do the business in a top European league.
5) Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Another Argentine on Liverpool’s radar is Paris Saint-Germain wide-man Ezequiel Lavezzi. Once a truly top performer in Serie A with Napoli, Lavezzi has not quite found his best form in Ligue 1, though he could still add something to this Liverpool squad and make a fine replacement for Sterling, also offering an option upfront if needed.