Liverpool will look to solve their ailing left-back problems by bidding for Chelsea’s Ryan Bertrand in the January transfer window, according to a report in Thursday’s Telegraph.
The Reds have Jose Enrique ruled out through injury until February, while on-loan signing from Valencia, Aly Cissokho, has failed to impress since his summer switch.
Brendan Rodgers has been keen on acquiring the 24-year-old’s services at Anfield for some time, having had a bid in the summer turned down by the West London side.
Bertrand himself is keen to hold out to break through to the Chelsea team, but even with the recent drop in form of Ashley Cole, Bertrand is struggling to impress Jose Mourinho – starting just one Premier League game so far this season.
The Telegraph report:
Bertrand is settled at Chelsea but Rodgers will offer him regular football as he is believed to have reservations over Aly Cissokho, while Jon Flanagan made only his second start of the season in last weekend’s Merseyside derby.
The report suggests a fee of around £8m for the Englishman.
Bertrand, who was signed as a youth player from Gillingham in 2005, has made just 28 appearances for the Blues, having had loan spells at Bournemouth, Oldham Athletic, Norwich City, Reading and Nottingham Forest.
Recently we identified Bertrand as one of five potential left-back targets for Liverpool to solve their problems in that position. Read about the other four here.
Fulham manager Martin Jol says he hopes to fend off interest from all clubs in teenage forward Moussa Dembele.
Dembele has been linked with moves to some of the Premier League’s top clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United, but Jol remans adamant he will improve at Craven Cottage.
Dembele, 17, is now playing for Fulham’s Under-21 side, and was an unused substitute for their 2-1 defeat at home to Swansea at the weekend.
Last night he scored two goals to help Fulham Under-21s beat Aston Villa Under-21s in the Premier League Cup.
Jol is quoted by the Fulham Chronicle as saying, “Dembele came in two years ago and is still under contract.
“He’s only 17 now, but he’s strong and scores goals every match. I took him up to the Under 21s already. The boy loves it here. The only thing we’ve got to do is in the next couple of years to keep him here.”
Meanwhile, in other Liverpool FC transfer rumours, the Reds have this week been linked to Yohan Cabaye, Koke, Arda Turan and 17-year-old Swedish striker Valmir Berisha.
Despite the quality of Lucas and Steven Gerrard in the heart of Liverpool’s midfield, it’s lacking pace and dynamism at present. Henry Jackson (@OnFootballTweet) takes a look at five realistic options for the Reds to sign in January. Who would be your first choice?
YANN M’VILA (Rubin Kazan)
The French international has been linked with a move to Anfield for a while now, and would be a great addition to the Reds’ squad.
The Rubin Kazan man is excellent defensively but also has great vision in abundance. At just 23 years of age he will only get better too. Rumours of a move to the Reds were fuelled further when he was seen in the away end during last weekend’s Merseyside derby.
He claims he was only there to watch his good friend Mamadou Sakho playing, but could there be more to it?
BLAISE MATUIDI (Paris Saint-Germain)
The 26-year-old has been a revelation for PSG since his move from Saint-Etienne in 2011, cementing himself as a regular for both the Ligue 1 champions and France in the process.
Strong, powerful and good on the ball, he would add a much-needed extra dimension to Liverpool’s midfield. Admittedly signing him would be tough, with many of Europe’s top clubs tracking him, but his contract expires at the end of the season and Brendan Rodgers could be tempted by a January swoop.
MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN (Southampton)
Southampton have made a superb start to the Premier League season, and Schneiderlin’s displays at the heart of the Saints’ midfield have been a key reason for their success.
The 24-year-old has everything needed to be a top class defensive midfielder: defensive awareness, presence and excellent ball retention. The latter of these is something Liverpool lack in that area at times.
The Frenchman is easily good enough to be playing for a bigger club, and would be a very shrewd acquisition by Rodgers.
EVER BANEGA (Valencia)
The Argentina international is another player who has long been linked with a move to Anfield, and Valencia’s current financial woes could mean they are willing to sell their key midfielder.
The 25-year-old is a classy player, capable of producing incisive passes in key areas. Such is his ability he is expected to start for Argentina at next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
Banega has made it clear that he would consider a move in January, and the quality he possesses would add a great deal to the Reds midfield.
MAXIME GONALONS (Lyon)
Gonalons is one of the most promising young players in French football.
He has a box-to-box style that only Jordan Henderson possesses currently at Anfield but, with all due respect to the Englishman, Gonalons is a far more talented player technically.
The 24-year-old has risen through Lyon’s academy and is now captain of the club, but he will want a move away soon in order to properly fulfil his huge potential.
Which other defensive midfielders do you think would be perfect signings in January?
