We’re only a week beyond the end of the season and it is Liverpool who are wasting no time in getting their summer transfer business conducted early having already captured the signatures of James Milner and Danny Ings who will join on July 1st.
These two players have caused quite a debate in the Football Transfer Tavern of late and perceptions of the duo literally boil down to how positive or negative you are as a Liverpool fan at the moment.
For the moaners, both Milner and Ings represent uninspiring signings that show how far the Reds have fallen in being seemingly unable to attract marquee-type signings to Anfield anymore with Brendan Rodgers having missed out on the likes of Willian and Alexis Sanchez in the recent past.
For the upbeat Kopites, both Milner and Ings are players with experience in the Premier League, players who are undoubtedly hungry with a desire to succeed and ultimately English and the latest additions to Rodgers’ British core which he is intent on further establishing at Anfield.
One thing is for sure however; now that two new faces will be definitely arriving at Anfield, Rodgers knows that he’ll now have to make a concerted effort on trimming down his squad and releasing a few of those failed signings, forgettable loan stars and utility squad members that won’t be helping the Reds back into the top four next term.
Here we have identified five Liverpool players that Rodgers simply must sell this summer.
[ffc-gallery]
Click on these Reds fans below to reveal the 5 players Liverpool must sell this summer.
[/ffc-gallery]
Jose Enrique
There comes a time when a club’s fanbase simply becomes somewhat fed up with the seemingly endless injury troubles associated with a member of their squad and this is exactly the case with Jose Enrique.
Having been limited to just nine appearances in all competitions last season, the Spanish full back hinted at coming back into the fold on numerous occasions, only for his knee injury to prevent him making a full recovery each and every time.
In what is ultimately a shame for Liverpool and their fans, when you consider some of the flop signings that have been brought into Anfield in recent seasons, Enrique hasn’t disgraced himself at all but his injury setbacks are now bordering on the Abou Diaby side of the scale.
Also factor into the equation that Alberto Moreno was one of Rodgers’ better signings last summer and totally has the left back position pinned down as his own and you could understand why Enrique may be sold by the Anfield chiefs this summer.
Raheem Sterling
A controversial selection perhaps given his obvious talent but at the end of the day, who wants an unhappy player in their ranks?
Some Reds fans will point to the fact that Luis Suarez was forced to remain at Anfield for one more season than he would have ideally liked while producing the form of his life as Liverpool narrowly missed out on the title but can you really say that Sterling boasts the same personal desire and hunger?
Suarez is most certainly a one off and although it’s early days since Sterling’s contract stand off, you could see in England’s dour friendly with the Republic of Ireland that so much public antagonism and media focus is incredibly likely to be a detriment to his form – after all, he’s still just 20-years-old.
The Mirror reported last week how Manchester City have made a £30 million bid for Sterling’s services but you’d be foolish to think that the Reds will let him depart for that fee.
With £10 million more likely to get the Reds thinking, what we think is that Liverpool should take the top dollar for somebody who’s head has clearly been turned with no way back.
The only worry some Reds fans have is the fact that Rodgers hasn’t been so wise with his investments of late. After all, look what he did with the Suarez money!
Fabio Borini
In years to come, Liverpool fans will only recall the name ‘Fabio Borini’ in those quizzes where football fans are urged to recall the names of flop signings for some kind of reward.
To cut a long story short, Borini has just been a terrible signing all round for the Reds.
When he was signed from Roma back in 2012, the Italian became Rodgers’ first signing with the Reds boss having worked with him during a successful loan spell at Swansea City.
Having struck six goals in nine appearances for the Swans, that was all well and good but it was in the Championship.
Although Borini then went on to impress somewhat at a higher level in Serie A with Roma, you always felt Liverpool were signing something of a ‘project player’ – not the finished article and certainly someone who wasn’t a household name in the game.
Unfortunately for Borini, he hasn’t been able to shake that status and you feel he really should’ve taken his chance and moved on a permanent transfer to Sunderland last summer; after all, it was the Black Cats who brought the best out of him in that loan spell at the Stadium of Light.
Mario Balotelli
His agent Mino Raiola has came out and claimed that Mario Balotelli will definitely be staying at Anfield this summer but this news was met with groans all around the tavern a few weeks ago.
Take all of the drama that seems to follow the Italian away and judge the striker on pure footballing ability alone and to be quite honest, Balotelli was just not good enough last season.
The few that backed him claimed he had indeed calmed down – true to be honest – but were praising his link up play and the fact that he didn’t react to certain situations when he might have blown his top.
But at the end of the day, what kind of football fans are simply satisfied by a big name striker simply linking the play well from deep and not overreacting like they did in the past? What Reds fans crave are goals and plenty of them.
The stats don’t lie and confirm that Balotelli struck a single goal in an entire Premier League season; form that is simply not good enough for a team that harbours ambitions to break back into the top four.
Rickie Lambert
Another striker who it simply hasn’t worked out for at Anfield is Rickie Lambert who some rival fans claim was like a player who won a competition to play for Liverpool last season!
Bettering Balotelli’s Premier League goal haul of last term by just one strike, Lambert was another who just wasn’t clinical enough in front of goal during the opportunities that were awarded to him under Brendan Rodgers.
Lambert wasn’t signed as a first choice option but more a super sub from the bench but was this ever really going to suit a player who has grown used to legendary status at Southampton as the number one main option up top?
Hindsight is all well and good I guess but Liverpool fans crave a marquee type of signing rather than the Rickie Lambert’s of this world.
Now Danny Ings has been signed from Burnley, many see his signature as an upgrade on Lambert due to his age and ability of course but the consensus is that the Reds really need to land somebody such as Porto’s Jackson Martinez to truly point out that they mean business next season.
