After opting against nabbing him over the summer, Liverpool have been suitably impressed by Alex Song’s Premier League comeback in the West Ham shirt. And it seems that Brendan Rodgers has been so awestruck, that an end of season raid for the Cameroonian is on the cards, with the Northern Irishman planning for life after Steven Gerrard.
The Hammers themselves are rumoured to be ready to make the deep-lying playmaker’s loan switch from Barcelona permanent, yet it’s still early days and Song himself has stated in the past that he wants to be playing regular Champions League football, giving Liverpool hope.
But is the former Arsenal ace the right man for the Anfielders? After a difficult spell at Barca and some inconsistent showings during his time with the Gunners, there is bulk to the argument that he may not be the right man for the club… So we at FFC Towers have made up a list of FIVE alternatives for Liverpool to consider.
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Christoph Kramer
A surprise World Cup starting berth truly announced Kramer’s arrival at the top level, with the 23-year-old entrusted with the role of filling in for the injured Sami Khedira. It’s fair to say he shone, as the youngster stepped into the XI for the biggest game in football to produce a composed display as his nation secured the trophy.
Domestically, Kramer currently plies his trade with Borussia Monchengladbach, but his rights are actually owned by Bayer Leverkusen. The enforcer is in the final season of a two-year loan deal, and if he continues to impress in the Bundesliga, there’s every chance his parent club will fail to see him pull on the shirt for the senior side.
Last term Kramer was a standout player for his current side, with his passing stats particularly impressive given that his club finished outside of the top four. Offers of £20m+ may secure his services.
Cheick Tiote
He may not quite be the highly-rated, exotic player Liverpool fans are craving, but Tiote is a genuine option for the Reds. Unlike Song, Rodgers could get the Ivorian destroyer in as soon as January, which could be a major boost given the Reds’ difficult star to the season – with defensive issues a major worry.
Given his reputation as a no-nonsense tough tackler, Tiote has actually been quite impressive with the ball at his feet for Newcastle in his four seasons at the club, with his pass accuracy ratings having hovered around the mid 80%s. He would also add guaranteed Premier League know-how and could cost less than £15m.
Arturo Vidal
Manchester United are widely seen as favourites in the race for Vidal, but with Strootman now their major target, the ball could be in Liverpool’s court. The Reds were linked with the Chile star over the summer, but talk of a move was quiet as Rodgers pursued other targets after becoming aware that Juventus were far from keen to do business.
Yet after an incident in a nightclub last week, Vidal’s future in Turin is uncertain, with reports claiming that the Old Lady no longer see him as ‘unsellable’. As the video below shows, the 27-year-old would add the dynamism and power Liverpool have been missing in midfield, and could be within their budget given the relatively low net spend during the last transfer window.
//www.youtube.com/embed/uOQuuuXVmjs
Morgan Schneiderlin
Liverpool could once again lower their popularity on the South Coast by snapping up a FOURTH Southampton star. Over the summer the Reds landed the Saints’ captain, Adam Lallana, their top scorer for the last four seasons, Rickie Lambert, and their commanding defender, Dejan Lovren and were also looking at Jay Rodriguez.
Schneiderlin himself was linked with a move away from St Mary’s Stadium, but despite his desires to join Spurs or Arsenal, the club held firm to keep him. The Frenchman has since indicated that he will at least see out the season with his current side, but should Liverpool qualify for the Champions League again then a move to Anfield could appeal to the 24-year-old.
As the statistics show, Schneiderlin has been impressive both offensively and defensively, showing that he could slot into a fluid Rodgers midfield set-up.
Sami Khedira
//www.youtube.com/embed/LfHD8yuihyQ
Arsenal are rumoured to be firmly in the box seat for Khedira, but Liverpool could yet move for the German. The World Cup winner is known to be looking to leave Real Madrid in January, and his contractual situation – he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season – means that offers of around £8m-£10m are likely to be accepted.
Khedira would command massive wages, yet with a mix of defensive solidity and energy heading forward, he could be the long-term answer to the ‘Steven Gerrard question’.
