Whilst we know that Liverpool were interested in signing Mohamed Salah (the Egyptian winger who ended up at Stamford Bridge), they have been pretty quiet during the January transfer window.
Last January Brendan Rodgers signed Daniel Sturridge and basically kick-started the club’s progress back up the Premier League table. As such, it’s a little disappointing to see Liverpool sit still when they should be looking to capitalise on their current position.
Of course, there’s a few hours left in the transfer window. Let’s not throw our toys out of the pram when Brendan could still pull a bargain out of the bag.
Who he’s looking at is just about anybody’s guess, though The Mirror did report yesterday that the Reds have made a £16m bid to sign Dnipro winger, Yevhen Konoplyanka (bloggers and sports writers across the country, ready your spell-checkers!).
This news is likely to prompt two different kinds of reactions from readers: one of unbridled joy, or just a simple shrug.
Given that he plays in the Ukrainian domestic league (under Juande Ramos, no less), I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a fair few football fans who hadn’t heard of him.
You may remember him from when England last faced off against Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier. He showed plenty of class, pace and guile as he helped his side to a 1-1 draw against the Three Lions. I wonder if it was at that point that Brendan Rodgers sat up and took notice.
The 24-year-old winger has remarkable close control, a willingness to take defenders on and marks his game with a certain unpredictability. He’s a crafty blighter, who loves to cut in from the flanks, jink past players and try and cause havoc in the penalty area.
Whilst the step up from the Ukrainian league to the Premier League could be a tough one, we’ve already seen from his international appearances that he’s capable of performing on big stages.
Besides, Brendan is a smart cookie. He wouldn’t be chasing Konoplyanka unless he felt certain that he’d make his mark with the club. That’s especially true if he’s willing to spend as much as £16m on the player.
He’d certainly represent a big step up on Victor Moses.
What’s your take? Should The Reds make a move for this beguiling Ukrainian?
Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.
You just can’t rely on Ayre to sell the club to anyone, look at his previous attempts, just not holding my breath. I just hope we do better than in the summer ( Aspas, Alberto, Moses, Sissokho…lol )
No.