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Liverpool are very close to signing Rickie Lambert from Southampton for a reported fee of 4 million pounds and add ons as per media reports. In recent weeks, Liverpool have been reported to have made bids for Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Emre Can and Alberto Moreno. But it seems like Rickie Lambert could turn out to be Liverpool’s first signing of the season.
Rickie Lambert has been a boyhood Liverpool fan. Before joining Southampton in 2009, Lambert has played for five different clubs in the lower divisions in England. At the age of 31, he made his international debut in August 2013. A move to Liverpool in this window would be like a dream turning into reality for Lambert.
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There has been a lot of skepticism about the potential transfer among the Liverpool fans as soon as the news of the potential transfer was reported. Many fans have been of the opinion that a younger striker should have been looked at instead of Lambert, who would be able to play at this level for potentially a couple of years.
Liverpool’s current striking options
Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were phenomenal last season. They managed to score a combined 52 goals in the league. However, the problem for Liverpool during the season was an effective backup to the duo. Iago Aspas managed to start five games and made nine appearances as a subsitute. He did not score in the league and contributed only a single assist in the campaign.It is very likely that Aspas would be sold by Liverpool this season.
By virtue of not playing in European competitions and relatively lesser injuries with Sturridge and Suarez during the season, the lack of striking options did not harm Liverpool’s season in a big way. The absence of a backup did hamper their chances in the race for the Premier League title. There were games in the season, when a replacement for a tired Suarez or Sturridge would have benefitted the team. Both the games against Chelsea were a perfect example when Liverpool needed more striking options to come off the bench and provide more energy and ideas on the field. Sturridge in particular looked jaded in the tie against Chelsea at Anfield which did not help Liverpool’s cause to break down a very well organised defence.
Fabio Borini is likely to feature in Liverpool’s squad having returned from a good loan spell at Sunderland. Borini had a tough first season at Liverpool, with difficult injuries ensuring he did not feature for most parts of the season. He managed to score a single goal in his first season at Liverpool and followed it up with seven goals in the league at Sunderland. He also scored a memorable goal in the Carling Cup final. His injury record has been a matter of concern . He has managed to start only 50 games in his previous three league seasons.
Liverpool’s entry into the champions league means they will play in a lot of games this season. If they manage to advance into the latter stages of the Champions League or the domestic cups, it would mean they would play around 50 to 60 games in the season. The effects of the World Cup are also likely to take its toll on the fitness of players.
It seems unlikely that any of Liverpool’s youngsters could play a key role as a striker in the coming season. A lot depends on the formation Liverpool would be primarily during the course of the season. Last season, Liverpool resorted to playing two strikers upfront in a majority of their games when both Sturridge and Suarez were available. This makes it essential to have three to four strikers in their squad.
Role of Rickie Lambert
FSG typically look at signing young players who can be developed into better players and if required be sold at a good price after a few years. The only exception has been Kolo Toure who was signed on a free transfer last season. Rickie Lambert would not fit into this profile.
By signing only younger players, the team lacked experience and the maturity to play at the top level. Hence the transfer policy needs to be altered slightly to have a balance of young talented and experienced professionals.
As per media reports, the transfer fee for Lambert would be around 4 million pounds with add-ons. He is also on relatively low wages. In financial terms this would not mean a very big investment as the fee and the wages would be around 8 to 10 million pounds over the course of two seasons. The down side would be the selling value would be negligible.
In pure footballing aspects Lambert should fit in quite well. His record at Southampton has been quite impressive. He has managed to score 106 goals in 207 games for Southampton in the various league games. In the Premier League, he has managed to score 28 goals and has contributed 15 assists in 75 league games. Only Suarez, Gerrard , Rooney and Lambert have managed to have two double digits in both the assists and the goals column in the league this season. He has hardly missed any games during his Southampton career which is quite a tribute to his fitness.
He’s probably never got the recognition for what a really good footballer he is. He is probably seen as a traditional big number nine, a typical British striker, but he’s one of the most accomplished footballers I’ve seen. Look at his touch and the different types of goals he scores; he is a terrific player – Brendan Rodgers on Rickie Lambert
Earlier in the season, Rodgers had showered praise on the English striker. As Rodgers had said, Lambert is quite sound technically. Despite his physique , Lambert is not a striker in the mould of an Andy Carroll or a Peter Crouch , who are used predominantly to win headers in a direct style of football. Lambert has been a part of a Southampton team which primarily relies in a style involving passing along the ground.
Lambert is also pretty impressive in his set-pieces. He has managed to score quite a few goals from direct free kicks and is a regular penalty taker at Southampton. His impressive number of assists over the two seasons show he is quite a good team player as well. In the absence of Suarez or Gerrard, Lambert can be a good option for set-pieces.
Another aspect which can have a positive impact about Lambert is he does not have to face the pressure a younger player has to go through. The expectations of moving to a big club would definitely be there, but at his age, Lambert would have nothing to lose. This would most likely be his biggest move in his career . His experience would play a big part in settling him down.
Overall at a low transfer fee and relatively low wages , Lambert would be a good bargain for Liverpool. Being a Liverpool fan, passion and committment are two aspects which Liverpool fans can look forward to from Lambert. If the transfer does go through it could also help in attracting Adam Lallana to Liverpool. The signing would also show that Liverpool have learnt the right lessons from their previous transfer window by moving in quickly for players.
