After months of speculation Barcelona finally completed the signing of last year’s PFA player of the season for a massive £75 million fee. Whereas losing their talismanic striker should immensely hurt Liverpool’s chances of competing for major honors next season, if the money is used wisely Brendan Rodgers can build up a cracking team. However it is important that Rodgers is astute in his dealings and that the money is not foolishly spent.
Lessons should be learnt from Tottenham’s usage of the world record €100 million fee they received from the transfer of Gareth Bale which was irrationally spent on players which did not settle well in the side.
Here are five players Liverpool can potentially sign which will allow them to recover from Suarez’s loss.
Marco Reus
Reus is exactly the kind of marquee signing Liverpool need to lift the spirits in the dressing room after the melancholiness which has been created following the departure of Luis Suarez. The Borussia Dortmund star was named Bundesliga player of the season after his excellent performances which saw him registering 21 goals and 15 assists in league and European outings.
Reus is an intelligent player who is capable of playing centrally as well as wide. He is an excellent dribbler of the ball having managed 81 successful dribbles last season in the Bundesliga. He also produced more key passes per game than any other player in the German league which is an impressive stat considering the plethora of quality attacking players in the Bundesliga.
Marco Reus is widely regarded as one of the most talented players in the world of football and his addition can definitely allow Liverpool to recover from Suarez’s loss.
Dejan Lovren
The Croatian had a stellar debut season with the Saints and can definitely provide solidity at the back for the Reds if signed this season. Liverpool had one of the best attacks in the country last season and they made good use of it by registering a grand total of 101 goals over the course of the campaign.
However Rodgers’s men were equally disappointing at the back. Only Tottenham (51) conceded more goals than Liverpool (50) in the top eight last season and had it not been for their fragile defence, the Reds could have easily claimed their first league title in almost 25 years.
Liverpool have reportedly made a bid for the Croatian centre half which was rejected by Southampton who are holding out for a larger transfer fee. Should the Reds manage to lure Lovren to Anfield they will definitely get hold of one of the best defenders in the league.
Alberto Moreno
The 22 year old had a productive campaign with Sevilla last season which ended up with Moreno winning a Europa League medal. At just 22 Moreno has his better years ahead of him and it would be wise for Liverpool to snatch him up for a left back position which needs serious attention.
Liverpool’s first choice left back Jose Enrique spent almost the entire season on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury in October. This meant that either of Jon Flanagan or Glen Johnson were forced to play out of position. Liverpool are reportedly close to landing the youngster after talks between the two clubs had broken down earlier owing to Liverpool’s reluctance to meet the asking price. But it is looking more and more likely that the 22 year old will be making his move to Anfield this summer.
Morgan Schneiderlin
Liverpool can benefit from the mass exodus at Southampton this summer. After losing the services of their best players including Luke Shaw, Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana, the Saints are also set to bid farewell to talented midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.
The Frenchman’s excellent performances earned him a call up to the 23 men squad which travelled to Brazil for the World Cup. The 24 year old is reportedly being tracked by North London sides Arsenal and Tottenham but Liverpool can do enough to convince him. One of Liverpool’s biggest short comings last season was the lack of depth in the squad and the Frenchman’s addition can help them overcome that.
Schneiderlin is a talented player who is a proven quantity and has experience playing in the Premier League which means he will not need much time to settle should Liverpool sign him.
Antoine Griezmann
The Real Sociedad youngster enjoyed a fabulous run last season which saw him scoring 16 times in La Liga. He was equally impressive during the World Cup and even though he failed to get himself on the score sheet in the tournament he was a constant menace in the opposition half.
The Frenchman can play in any of the three forward positions and is equally comfortable using both feet. Griezmann’s addition will add a lot of pace as well as flair in the Liverpool side, furthermore the 23 year old has a knack for scoring goals from the distance which could really benefit the Reds.
