Featured: Reds chase towering frontman?

[tlw content]

The Reds continue to be linked with a January move for Anzhi Makhachkala's giant striker Lacina Traore after the Ivorian was reportedly made available by the cash strapped Russian club.

 

The 6ft 8in Traore scored against Liverpool in the Europa League last season and according to various reports is high on Brendan Rodgers' January shopping list. Anzhi's financial woes have seen them cash in on other stars such as Willian and Samuel Eto'o, and Traore could be the next one to be sacrificed after his agent revealed: “If a good offer arrives that suits us then Lacina is free to leave in January. The demand for him is huge in Russia and especially in Europe.”

 

Rodgers is thought to be on the lookout for another striker after the less than stellar start made by Iago Aspas, but a 6ft 8in frontman would be quite a change in tack for a manager who has always valued movement and mobility above physical and aerial prowess in his strikers.

 

So, would Traore be a useful addition to the squad?

 

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[moof]

I like the look of him tbh. More than just a big man. He's got pace and is really good on the ball. What's his goal record like?

[Bjornebye]

Years Team Apps^† (Gls)^† 2007–2008 Stade d'Abidjan 27 (6) 2008–2011 CFR Cluj 44 (14) 2011–2012 Kuban Krasnodar 38 (18) 2012– Anzhi Makhachkala 28 (13)

 

Sceptical. 

[moof]

Pretty much 1 in 2 for Anzhi then? Thats ok considering he's still pretty young.

[dave u]

Goalscoring record not great.

 

138 games, 51 goals.

 

The goal he scored against us was through Coates and Jones being crap.  Don't really remember too much about him other than that goal.

 

I wouldn't be in favour, there are much better options out there for me.

[G Richards]

I'm not sure about this. He's decent enough, but buying 'decent enough' players has been our folly in recent years. The bulk of our signings should fall into one of two categories: 

 

1. Buy players who are a clear improvement on what we have and will go into the first team

2. Buy young players - some won't make it, which is the reality of not being able to shop solely in the 'finished article' market; some will make it; and one or two rare ones may even go on to become world class players if we buy the better young players and develop them well

 

Buying decent-ish players that fall into neither of these two categories costs a lot of money and doesn't really help the club to make progress. It will end up bloating the wage bill again, with no real discernible addition to the quality on the pitch. No thanks. 

[dennis tooth]

Goalscoring record not great.

 

138 games, 51 goals.

 

The goal he scored against us was through Coates and Jones being crap.  Don't really remember too much about him other than that goal.

 

I wouldn't be in favour, there are much better options out there for me.

Yeah but would they want to start games, surely sometimes its about the team cohesion, its surely a third option we need, would add a bit of height to the team but more than likely would be content to sit on the bench and work his way in from there. Assuming we keep Suarez we already have two ace forwards we want to compliment rather than break up  them two? Surprising really but Rioddy has a shoddy record with strikers thus far, Kenny bought Luis, Sturridge, he didnt want initially and was only signed when the committee had assumed control of transfers, and then he seemingly has signed Aspas and Borini so maybe questions should be posed on his judgement in that area.

Or maybe you have another player or two in mind that offers that but is better than him, hard to consider if ye dont name names. Have it on my desk by Friday and I'll consider it.

[dennis tooth]

Im more concerned we arent yet bein linked with a DM, still!

That said its clear every top side needs four strikers to compete for the big prizes, at least three anyway.

[ZonkoVille77]

Don't want him. We had a player like him and he's now at West Ham.

A quick pacey player with good positioning please. Someone similar to Shane Long but better, much better. Failing that, a Michu type.

Easy this footy manager bizniz..

[fowler9]

Antoine Griezmann and Guiseppe Rossi for January signings please

[moof]

I don't really think he's much like Carroll at all. Apart from being tall

[dave u]

I take your point Dennis, but if we're going to stick with this system (which I hope we do) and play with two strikers, we need to have three top ones, especially if we get top four and have the extra games next season.

 

Plus none of us know what will happen with Suarez either.  I'd rather get a top player in than another Borini/Aspas type who just isn't going to cut it.

[Strontium]

I find it hard to believe that Brendan Rodgers would buy a tall player, he's spent most of his time at Anfield getting rid of them.

[dennis tooth]

Think he's closer to Crouchy than Tony Carrolinio.

Crouchs goalscoring record was much worse, til we got him here anyway, we could do a lot worse so I wouldnt turn my nose up at him.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Looks like a tall order to me.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

you can never have enough Traores.

[Duff Man]

I take your point Dennis, but if we're going to stick with this system (which I hope we do) and play with two strikers, we need to have three top ones, especially if we get top four and have the extra games next season.

 

Plus none of us know what will happen with Suarez either.  I'd rather get a top player in than another Borini/Aspas type who just isn't going to cut it.

 

Tim Vickery was saying on the World Football phone-in that in an interview he'd done recently Cavani told him Suarez was convinced Real Madrid were going to make a move in January. I'd be gutted if we didn't get the rest of this season out of him.

[fowler9]

you can never have enough Traores.

 

we've had one too many in my opinion

[redinthehead]

 I'd be gutted if we didn't get the rest of this season out of him.

 I'd be gutted if we dont get 50M for him.

[milky]

we've had one too many in my opinion

 

He certainly played like he'd had one too many at times.

[Pureblood]

More than just a big man. He's got pace and is really good on the ball.

 

Are you saying he has a good touch for a big man?

[Adebisi]

Defoe or someone of that ilk would be a decent option. Not much of a footballer, but we need someone who will maybe come on for 10-20 minutes and nick a goal. I'm sure there's loads better options that Defoe, but paying top coin for someone to sit on the bench isn't going to happen. 

Saying that Sturridge has had injury problems in the past and Suarez will probably be off next year even if we do make CL, but if we're going to buy someone to eventually replace Suarez maybe we'd be better off doing it in the summer and getting a midfielder and wide man in during January. 

As for this lanky bugger, I'd be happy for the right price. He's talented from what I've see and would be a decent option to bring on. Not as physical of someone like Lukaku but he'd still bang some in I reckon. 

[MLB]

He looks a bit rubbish to me. No ta.

[Mikhail]

Are you saying he has a good touch for a big man?

 

Lol damn you beat me to it

[red_ostrich]

Well well well, rumours!