According to Catalan newspaper Sport, Barcelona aren't satisfied with having just signed Valencia's Jérémy Mathieu for their defence this summer. They apparently want to reinforce their ranks with Liverpool's Daniel Agger, who would be available for €15 million and a lower wage than he's currently earning at Anfield. Does it make sense? Let's take a look.
Could Daniel Agger be heading for Barcelona?
According to reports in Spain, Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is a transfer target for Barcelona.
Julian Finney
Why it makes sense
Liverpool have only just forked out a hefty £20 million to sign Southampton centre-back Dejan Lovren, so it's safe to assume he's going to play a big part in Brendan Rodgers' first team at Anfield this season. He'll likely be partnered with one of Mamadou Sakho or Martin Skrtel, who, according to Sport, could potentially start in a partnership themselves. It's difficult to imagine Agger getting much regular football at all.
So, it makes sense for Agger to leave, but it also makes sense for Liverpool to sell. The Danish international is now 29 years old, and will shortly begin declining physically. He’s now as good as he’s ever going to be, meaning Liverpool will be able to rake in a much bigger transfer fee than they would if they sold him in a season or two’s time. They also have plenty of defensive cover from Kolo Touré, Tiago Ilori and Sebastián Coates.
And finally, it makes sense for Barcelona to buy. Luís Enrique's side are remarkably short on first-team centre-backs, with only Gerard Piqué, Marc Bartra and recent arrival Jérémy Mathieu naturally comfortable in the position. Javier Mascherano is able to fill in admirably, but it seems more likely he'll be used in midfield this season. Agger would give them much-needed depth, and he's certainly better value for money than Mathieu was.
Why it doesn’t make sense
Daniel Agger has been at Liverool now for almost a decade, and has made over 150 league appearances for them in that time. Even last season he played 20 times in the Premier League. He’s still a very useful option, and Rodgers would no doubt rather have the Dane available to fill in over the erratic Touré.
There are also questions about whether Agger is really good enough for Barcelona. Sure, they're a side in a big transition at the moment, with legends Xavi and Carles Puyol having departed, and other veterans like Andrés Iniesta surely soon to follow. However, they're still a powerhouse of European football, and their attack of Luis Suárez, Neymar and Lionel Messi is probably the best in the world. Agger may well only be useful for defensive cover.
Likelihood it happens
This transfer makes quite a lot of sense for all parties. Agger would probably play more regularly at Barcelona, he’s good value for money, and would add much-needed depth at centre-back. Meanwhile, Rodgers would probably be pretty happy to recoup some of the massive Lovren outlay on a player who would likely only be used as a backup this season, safe in the knowledge he has plenty of defensive cover. 7 out of 10 chance.
