Liverpool need to sign another striker – that’s for sure. The only question is who and for how much? Whilst the Reds moved the ball around with some aplomb last season (most of the time) their forwards failed to convert most of their chances. And that’s what separated Liverpool from teams like Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal – they didn’t have a striker that they could rely upon.
Andy Carroll was more of a burden than an asset. Luis Suarez amazed just about everybody with his silky feet, but often wasted good opportunities to score. Beyond those two, Liverpool can’t really look to anybody else.
Now that Brendan Rodgers is in charge, he faces the task of adding a little firepower upfront. Whilst Andy Carroll appears to be undergoing something of a critical reappraisal, there’s still clearly work to be done.
Which brings me to a rumour from The Mirror: it’s claimed that Newcastle striker Demba Ba is available for just £7m until July 31st thanks to a clause in his contract. Who knows whether there’s any truth to these claims, but if Ba is available for just £7m, he’d represent an absolute bargain.
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Ba has impressed in spells with West Ham and Newcastle, though his star waned somewhat over the course of last season. Whilst he grabbed 15 goals, he struggled to find his feet after returning from the African Cup of Nations and was put out wide to allow new signing Papiss Demba Cisse a more central role. As a result his goal-scoring opportunities dried up and all of sudden he didn’t look so deadly.
As a result, The Bleacher Report claim that it’d be a bad move on Liverpool’s behalf. For me, this is hogwash. There’s no use judging a player on half a season (as opposed to the preceding one-and-a-half) where he was deployed out of position. Surely Ba has proven by now that he’s the real deal?
He’s 27-years-old and he’s about to enter the prime of his career. When he’s in form, he’s one of the deadliest finishers in the Premier League. Isn’t that exactly what Liverpool need at this stage? They don’t need somebody with oodles of technical ability. They don’t need players who can provide assists. They need a player who can take responsibility for scoring goals. Demba Ba has the credentials to do exactly that.
Besides, for just £7m, wouldn’t he be worth the risk?
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He’s far too good and cheap for Liverpool! They’re much more interested in paying far too much for awful players…Carroll, Henderson, Downing etc.
HAHA at least you used to be good, I’ll give you that!
Well Jack off. At least we used to be good. Yous years off of coming even close.
You don’t even know who I support you mug
what a hell. he himself distance himself from such a move.
No thanks, he’s 27 and not half the player Cisse is.
Why would he leave to go to a smaller club with no ambition, stop living in the glory days of 80s. Liverpool are not what they used to be
For a player who newcastle took a massive risk signing? He failed two medicals at Stuttgart and Stoke. His knee could end his career at any moment.