Although it is still very early days, for most clubs so far this summer, there has been a lot of speculation and little confirmed transfer business completed.
For Liverpool however, they have bucked the trend and already managed to secure two deals that will take effect from July 1st.
Yes, both James Milner and Danny Ings are the latest English additions to Brendan Rodgers’ British core at Anfield having transferred from Manchester City and Burnley and despite the scepticism surrounding their arrivals, what Liverpool have secured is two hard-working pros.
The jury is very much out on Rodgers’ transfer policy having gotten it completely wrong with the likes of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and to a lesser extent Lazar Markovic last summer so this time around, the captures of Milner and Ings look far more sensible.
Although they look like sensible additions, what our resident Reds fans are crying out for is a marquee type of signing, a signing to truly get Liverpool fans everywhere out of their seats giving them hope that they can indeed break back into the top four in 2015/16.
These cravings have been exacerbated of course by the loss of Steven Gerrard and the circus that continues to surround Raheem Sterling’s current situation at Anfield.
While Liverpool will of course go on to sign more players as the summer drags on, here we have identified five of the most ridiculous Reds rumours we’ve heard by the bar in recent times.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 most ridiculous Liverpool transfer rumours heard so far this summer.
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Raheem Sterling
It of course remains anybody’s guess what the immediate future holds for Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling who has turned into public enemy number one with Reds fans for turning down a new £100,000-a-week contract at Anfield with his eyes on securing a move away from Merseyside.
The latest has seen the departed Steven Gerrard weigh in on the situation claiming that Sterling can indeed turn it around at Anfield by staying and thus endearing himself to the Kop much like Luis Suarez did.
While it remains to be seen if Sterling will complete this remarkable turnaround, in the interim, the press have linked the England international with a whole host of clubs but scandalously, the Reds’ old foes Manchester United to boot!
Recently, The Guardian claimed that the player was open to a summer switch to Old Trafford but can you really see Sterling completing what would ultimately be the most controversial transfer since Robin van Persie?
The early signs are that a bit of criticism, as suffered by Sterling in England’s dour 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland inhibits his best form so imagine what the 20-year-old would suffer if he completed the ultimate of sins in signing for United.
A summer transfer to Manchester City quite possibly but United? No chance.
Jack Wilshere
Back in February, the Daily Star led with the story that Liverpool were lining up a sensational bid for Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere as the ideal replacement for the departing Steven Gerrard.
One thing is for sure; Gerrard was an extremely reliable and consistent member of the Reds squad in his years spent at Anfield and long-term, would Rodgers really want to replace such a talent with a player whereby reliability and consistency are lacking in regards to his injury record?
There is no doubting Wilshere’s ability when in form; after all, Gunners fans have just started to witness what he can bring to the team once more after his long injury lay-off but for Liverpool to splash £25 million on Wilshere as was being reported seemed a little far-fetched to say the least.
After his expletive-laden rant at Tottenham and subsequent FA charge, everybody again witnessed Wilshere’s love and devotion to the club he has grown up at so you can’t for one second imagine that he’d be ready to give up on remaining at Emirates Stadium long-term.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The reports were sensational to say the least but on the believability scale, this rumour was completely towards the unbelievable end of the spectrum.
In recent days, Arsenal and Liverpool have both been linked with a cut-price £11 million swoop for the enigma that is Paris Saint-Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic but after finally settling somewhat in the French capital, these rumours were immediately shot down by his agent.
While Liverpool fans admit that unlike Mario Balotelli, Ibrahimovic can talk the talk and act all cool while indeed producing the goods, they need somebody who is going to tick all of the boxes and somebody who would ultimately prove a bigger dressing room personality than Brendan Rodgers was never going to end well.
The type of striker our resident Reds fans are crying out for is either Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke or Porto’s Jackson Martinez although Liverpool’s lack of Champions League status may prevent them from pursuing the latter deal.
Theo Walcott & Kieran Gibbs
You knew silly season was back in full swing when Metro proceeded with the story that claimed Liverpool wanted Arsenal duo Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott in return for Raheem Sterling this summer.
At the start of the month, the Gunners were heavily linked with a move for Sterling that has subsided since but in order for such a move to come to pass, Arsene Wenger would need to part with two of his longest serving pros.
With Theo Walcott having reinstated his importance to Arsenal fans in the final two games of the season against both West Bromwich Albion and in the FA Cup Final against Aston Villa, there is no way Wenger is going to part with him this summer.
Add to the fact that the player actively spoke about continuing to work with the current group at the Gunners’ FA Cup trophy parade and neither he, nor Gibbs is going to be heading to Anfield any time soon.
Gibbs may now found himself usurped by the improving Nacho Monreal on plenty of occasions but you can’t imagine him wanting out of a club he has grown up at by any stretch of the imagination.
Tranquillo Barnetta
At the outset of this article, we spoke about Liverpool fans craving a marquee kind of signing and a player that truly captivates the fanbase in truly believing that they can finish back in the top four next season.
So when Reds fans read in the Daily Star that current free agent Tranquillo Barnetta has issued a come-and-get-me plea to Liverpool earlier this month, rolled eyes around the bar were the order of the day!
The Swiss international, now 30-years-old is embarking on the latter end of his career having just been released by Schalke and his signing would even underwhelm the most positive of Liverpool fans.
Liverpool have also been linked with the likes of Roma’s attacking midfielder Miralem Pjanic and it is this calibre of player that Reds fans crave, not the likes of Barnetta.
Out of all of Brendan Rodgers’ signings made so far, some are going as far to claim that Philippe Coutinho has been his sole success story with Daniel Sturridge’s injury troubles now bordering on the ridiculous and its fair to say the Northern Irishman needs more Coutinho-type signings this summer.
