Who can Liverpool buy in £ 15 million?
Roy Hodgson was appointed as the Liverpool manager day before. The Englishman was selected because of his terrific managerial record at Fulham where he took a below average looking side, filled with mediocre players to a UEFA Cup spot in his first season and then managed to take them to the final of the tournament itself only to lose in extra time to Athletico Madrid.
Roy Hodgson has got a tough job on his hands as he looks to take Liverpool back to where they belong in the eyes of the fans, right at the very top of English football. However, the club itself is in turmoil. Liverpool’s stature as a massive European club was greatly affected after they failed to reach the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League last season and then fell short of a Europa league final place.
The problem with the club is closely associated to its American owners, who have riddled the club with debt. Now a shortage of finances is seen as the new manager has supposedly only been given 15 million pounds of transfer money to spend on new players. Along with that, Roy has had asked senior players at the club such as Gerrard and Mascherano not to “jump ship”. Hodgson apparently wants them to stick with the club during this tough time.
However this might be difficult as Gerrard seems to be the target of a 20 million pound Real Madrid bid. While Mascherano, has been linked to a move away from Liverpool towards the Spanish giants Barcelona.
It is clear for everyone that Hodgson was not the first choice of the Liverpool board, as they approached Didier Deschamps who rejected their offer. Couple of years ago when the results at the club were not according to expectations, Liverpool were linked with Jose Mourinho and even Fabio Capello but it is clear now that they would struggle to afford their wage bills due to the financial crises at the club.
Which brings us to what Hodgson can do to bolster his squad. It is evident that one or two of the players at the club might leave in order to raise some funds for some in-coming transfers. Liverpool’s main problem has been a partner/replacement for the Spanish star Fernando Torres in their attack.
One of the targets for Hodgson can be the Ivorian striker Gervinho. He can play upfront alongside Fernando Torres and can also play on either wing. Gervinho has risen to stardom after his spectacular performances during his country’s short World Cup campaign. He has also shown that he can perform against the best of teams after putting in a good performance against Portugal in their group stage match. His speculated price tag is around 14 million pounds.
Another target for the striker position could be Asamoah Gyan, the Ghanaian striker scored in extra time to put his team in the quarter finals of the World Cup. His physical presence and heading ability will suit the premier league, and his capability to finish was also proven after his performance against U.S.A in the round of sixteen match. He currently plays for Rennes in France and is valued at approximately 15 million pounds. Given the fact that he is only 24 years old, he could very well be polished into a fine goal scorer under proper management.
Another problem for Hodgson would be the Liverpool defense. With Jamie Carragher looking weak at the back and struggling for pace against quicker players, Hodgson will be looking to sign a solid no nonsense defender. A possible replacement for Carragher could be Neven Subotic. The Serbian defender who is an uncompromising player resembles his national teams defensive partner Vidic in many ways. He currently plies his trade at Borrusia Dortmund and is valued at around 7 million pounds.
All these players will be available in the 7-13 million pound range and will do very well for Liverpool in crucial squad positions. If Mascherano leaves, Hodgson will need someone to replace his defensive midfielder. A good option can be the Michael Bradley. Bradley was terrific in U.S.A’s World Cup campaign which saw them qualify at the top of their group, only to lose in extra time to Ghana. Bradley currently plays for Borrusia Monchengladbach in the German league. His price tag is estimated around 10 million pounds.
Hodgson will be looking to get one of these players to reinforce his squad and hopefully qualify for a top four finish in the Premier League so that Liverpool can compete in the UEFA Champions League in the season 2011-2012. His larger agenda will also include to challenge for the Premier League title in around two years time. These players can help him achieve those goals and in doing so Hodgson can become Liverpool’s savior.
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