January Transfer Window 2016

[Allan]

Now there's a link I like to see!

 

Moura is one that, coming out of Brazil, I thought was going to be a huge star.  I'm Brazilian and heard huge things about him and then when he utterly dominated the U20 World Cup before his big move to PSG I thought he could be the next Ronaldo.

 

And the thing is, he could.  He has absolutely immense athletic ability, lightning quick and with tremendous balance, he really could be a poor man's Ronaldo (which is not a bad thing at all) if only he didn't have the final ball/finish of Stewart Downing.  It's baffling how a player as strong, quick, and talented on the ball as him can only score 5 goals a season in the French league at the best club there by some distance.  I know there are injuries and other factors, but still.

 

I still think he could turn it around, and even if he didn't we'd get most of the money back after a season or two from someone else willing to take the chance.  Absolutely worth the gamble for me, love to see him here, if he does work out the final ball he could be one of the best players in the league.

 

Plus I'd love to see us line up next season, just once, with Ibe, Markovic and Moura behind a fit Sturridge just to see the panic in the defenders' eyes at the array of sheer pace in front of them.  Not that I think it'd be a great lineup overall, just that I'd love to see it tried once.  The centre backs would be terrified to move more than 5 yards from their own box for fear of us getting in behind.

 

Do you watch much of the Brasileiro Serie A?

 

Wondered how that lad at Santos, Gabriel Barbosa, was coming along. There was a load of hype when he first hit the scene, but that seems to have clamed down considerably, over here anyway.

[Gym Beglin]

It's not baffling to work out why Lucas moura hasn't developed, you can draw a straight line between when he got fucking rich and when he stopped improving.

[Crazy Dave]

Lucas Moura doesn't seem to score many goals does he?

[El Dangerous]

Well he is a Lucas after all.

[Ne Moe Imya]

Do you watch much of the Brasileiro Serie A?

 

Wondered how that lad at Santos, Gabriel Barbosa, was coming along. There was a load of hype when he first hit the scene, but that seems to have clamed down considerably, over here anyway.

 

I personally haven't seen a single Brasilian league game this year, so you can take my opinion with a grain of salt.  Though the hype machine has dropped off a bit (and if you think the English press are bad for hyping up a promising youngster then you've never seen the Brasilians do it) I think he's still pretty highly rated.  He's not as consistent as you'd like, and went through something of a dry spell earlier but seems back to his best, and he's starting to add assists to his game lately.

 

I don't quite think the Neymar comparisons are accurate (for me he's more of a Tevez) but he'll be a very good player.  No doubt he'll move to Europe for big money as soon as they think he can get a work permit.  Probably Italy or Spain would be my guess.

[Red Phoenix]

Am going to guess that Klopp will go for Subotic or Hummels once the window is open.

[Phoenix]

A semi decent striker would get us top four and challenging. The league is crap.

[Gym Beglin]

Leicester would be bottom of the league if they had Benteke and Lallana instead of Mahre and Vardy.

 

We need goals, it's that easy to win games, for christs sake.

[Ne Moe Imya]

Talks reportedly opened between us and some Serbian teenager named Marko Grujic after we scouted him.

 

Twitter is alive with rumours at the moment that this is actually happening, or has happened, or something.  Apparently he either posted something on instagram or responded to someone else's post that had an LFC flag and YNWA on it or something.

 

Anyway, could all be bollocks but there it is.  The theory is that we'd leave him at Red Star until the summer anyway, so nothing that's going to change anything this season but could be a nice one for the future.

[ZonkoVille77]

Never heard of any of the cunts.

[TheHowieLama]

This years Origi

[El Dangerous]

Leicester would be bottom of the league if they had Benteke and Lallana instead of Mahre and Vardy.

 

We need goals, it's that easy to win games, for christs sake.

iIf it was that easy everyone would be doing it but at best I only ever see 50% of teams in the league doing it, usually less.

[Lee909]

 

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will seek to bolster the defensive options available to him, with reports suggesting the Reds have shown an interest in landing Schalke defender Joel Matip.

 

David Kent of the MailOnline writes that Liverpool intend to discuss a pre-contract with the 24-year-old, and according to Paul Joyce of the Daily Express, it means veteran defender Kolo Toure is likely to leave the club.

 

Matip, a Cameroon international, would be a savvy pick-up for the Reds on a free transfer and would help enrich the quality in the centre-back berth.

 

As WhoScored.com noted earlier this season, the Schalke man is an expert reader of the game:

 

 

In addition, Matip is the kind of authoritative presence that’s been lacking at the back at Anfield for a long time. The centre-back is not only sharp in intercepting the ball, but commanding in the air, fierce in the tackle and a useful player when it comes to set pieces too.

 

Matip is the kind of combative presence Liverpool need.

The latter is an area which Klopp has been adamant that his team must improve, with West Bromwich Albion bagging two goals at Anfield from dead-ball situations in Liverpool’s last Premier League outing.

 

Matip would be able to assist in easing these woes and, on a free transfer, would represent a coup.

 

 

Liverpool Join Breel Embolo Race

 

Calciomercato (h/t Tom Olver of Metro) claims Liverpool are the latest team to show an interest in FC Basel’s teenage sensation, Breel Embolo.

 

As Olver writes, the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal have been mooted as potential destinations for the player previously. But now the Reds and their Merseyside rivals, Everton, are said to have joined the hunt for one of European football’s hottest prospects.

 

Here’s a look at what Embolo is capable of producing, despite still only being 18 years old:

 

 

The Reds are in a curious position when it comes to centre-forwards. They have plenty, but at the moment, it’s tough to rely fully on any of them. Danny Ings is out for the season, Daniel Sturridge regularly picks up knocks, Divock Origi is raw and Christian Benteke seems to be struggling to adapt to the style of play deployed by Klopp.

 

Liverpool have a lot of strikers, but can't seem to rely fully on any of them.

Embolo, for all his natural talent, wouldn't give the Reds the consistency they need in this critical area of the field.

 

All the tools are in place for the Swiss international to go on and have a wonderful career, but for the time being, he still needs to develop a lot of areas of his game. That’s a process that will not be expedited should he make a big-money move to Liverpool, where every movement would be subject to forensic examination

[mouse1989]

Meh, I'm not overly convinced of Matip from what I've seen of Schalke. Defensively they've been letting in some soft goals. I'm sure I heard on a podcast that they've not kept a clean sheet for 8 games now

[Russ Atmosphere]

Free transfer? This one sounds realistic.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Klopp: Ian, this is a cool signing, this guy is very cool, but I asked for Matic.

[The Golden Eel]

"their Merseyside rivals, Everton, are said to have joined the hunt for one of European football’s hottest prospects."

[Russ Atmosphere]

In summary

 

Matip - we are ready to discuss (an agreement)

 

Sane - continuing to monitor

 

Grujic - yet to agree a deal for

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Sounds like they're all ones for the summer. Matip on a pre-agreement, Grujic to be loaned back to his club and Schalke probably won't let Sane go before then no matter what.

[Russ Atmosphere]

No indication from the papers of any January deals for the first team. I'm not surprised if that's how it pans out but I think we're missing a good opportunity with the season going the way it has and the optimism of our fans with Klopp. Carpe donut.

[Grinch]

Was always pie in the sky that Klopp would have a fortune this January.  Rodgers spent our budget in the summer.

 

Ridiculous giving him the summer window when there was obvious so little faith in him to sack him a few months later.

[Paulie Dangerously]

I'd stick Matip straight in our rearguard

[Russ Atmosphere]

Was always pie in the sky that Klopp would have a fortune this January.  Rodgers spent our budget in the summer.

 

Ridiculous giving him the summer window when there was obvious so little faith in him to sack him a few months later.

 

It was ridiculous, but it worked out at around £21m which by our standards wasn't so large, especially with the huge TV deal on it's way. Not that the debate should be about giving Klopp a fortune in January, most players from other leagues don't cost fortunes and plenty would love to play for a Klopp-managed Liverpool.

[magicrat]

Was always pie in the sky that Klopp would have a fortune this January.  Rodgers spent our budget in the summer.

 

Ridiculous giving him the summer window when there was obvious so little faith in him to sack him a few months later.

I think they obviously expected him to stay . it was ridiculous to my mind they didn't bin him off last Christmas. I can only surmise when Klopp became available the Yanks got out of second gear for once. I'm sure if the right player is available in January they will back him.

They are all playing it down at the moment which is definitely the right thing to do .

[Russ Atmosphere]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/marko-grujic-liverpool-fc-closing-10614325

 

Liverpool are closing in on their first signing under Jurgen Klopp, as the deal for Red Star Belgrade midfielder Marko Grujic edges nearer.

 

The Reds have been battling Inter Milan for the £5m-rated teenager, with the club originally fearful the Italian side were leading the chase.

 

But the Reds seem to have won the battle after Klopp, a keen admirer of the player, became personally involved in the deal to bring the 19-year-old to Anfield.

 

His progress has also been closely monitored by Reds assistant manager and fellow countryman Zeljko Buvac.

 

Grujic would join the club in January, but be immediately loaned back to his current club until the end of the season.

 

Cash-strapped Serbian Super League leaders Red Star have been resigned to selling their big asset but Grujic wants to stay in his homeland until the end of the season to help them clinch the title.

 

The ECHO revealed last week Liverpool had to battle Inter's long-standing interest in the playmaker, and that the Reds were granted permission to hold talks with Grujic after Red Star’s 7-2 thrashing of Cukaricki earlier this month.

 

Marko Grujic Facebook post

 

Late on Wednesday night, Grujic posted a cryptic message on his Facebook page – in the form of two happy faces - addressing reports in Serbia that the deal was done.

 

Asked about his future, Grujic said: “I’ll try to respect the club, the fans and the general public, but again I think that for myself I have to choose the best environment where I get the chance to play and where I work with good coaches in good conditions.

 

“It is certain that I remain here until the end of qualifying for the Champions League. I had a talk with Liverpool but I did not receive yet any agreement. I’m still a Red Star player.”

 

Grujic came up through the ranks at Red Star’s youth academy and made his first-team debut at the age of 17 in May 2013.

 

He has since gone on to become a firm fans’ favourite and has helped Red Star build a commanding 25-point lead at the top of the table this season, dropping just four points in their first 22 games.

 

Grujic, who has scored five goals for Red Star so far this term and is under contract until 2018, was part of the Serbia squad who won the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand back in June.