Despite making seven signings so far this summer, Liverpool and head coach Brendan Rodgers still haven't addressed the lack of a true striker after the departure of Luis Suárez. That all could change though if The Independent's report that the Reds have made a £18 million offer to Paris Saint-Germain for striker Ezequiel Lavezzi is true.
How likely is a Liverpool move for Lavezzi?
Brendan Rodgers is rumored to be looking at the PSG striker as possible replacement for Luis Suárez.
Julian Finney
What it makes sense
Liverpool need a player who can consistently put the ball in the back of the net and Lavezzi has shown the ability to score goals. Paris Saint-Germain’s roster is fairly crowed with forwards, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani expected to the be the first choice starters for Laurent Blanc. Based on the that alone, the idea of Lavezzi making a switch doesn’t seem that far fetched.
If you take into consideration the rumors that PSG are chasing Real Madrid’s Angel di Maria, there’s every reason to believe that there simply might not be enough minutes to go around. Shipping out Lavezzi for a tidy sum would help the Parisian club try and comply with financial fair play rules as well.
Why it doesn’t make sense
Lavezzi isn’t a true striker, though he can play in a forward position. He’s never been a prolific goal scorer, at least not on the level that Suárez was setting. Liverpool already have plenty of hybrid striker/winger type players and could probably use a more traditional style forward.
In addition, the £18 million figure reported would represent a loss over a few million for PSG -- they paid roughly £21 million to Napoli in 2012 for Lavezzi -- and is there really any reason for them to sell low? The Argentine was solid last season scoring 12 goals, and helped his nation reach the final of the World Cup over the summer. Also, if they can afford the depth, why not keep him around for the Champions League?
Likelihood it happens
Between the potential FFP gain for PSG, their plethora of strikers on the roster, and Liverpool's clear need for a big time offensive threat, a lot about this potential deal makes sense. We know the Reds have the money to spend, and we know PSG's owners can absorb a loss of a few million dollars if they sell Lavezzi for less than they bought him for. He's not Luis Suárez, but if Lavezzi was given the chance to play regularly he could do damage in the Premier League.
Just because we’d like to see Liverpool’s public relations team deal with the recently leaked X-rated photos of Lavezzi, we’ll give this move a 6 out of 10 chance of happening.
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