Rodgers quick off the mark as Ince & Sturridge get set for Liverpool
Thomas Ince
and Daniel Sturridge are set to join Liverpool in January.
It has been
another season of inconsistency for the Reds, who take one step forward and two
steps back in their bid to reclaim their once-accustomed place in the elite of
English football. Last weekend for example, just as Brendan Rodgers had spoken
of a top-three challenge, they fell to a 3-1 home loss to Aston Villa.
One thing
for sure is that there will be activity at Anfield when the transfer window
reopens. It is no secret that they have been woefully short of attacking
options since the start of the season when they allowed Andy Carroll to link up
with West Ham United on loan. Rodgers will resist the chance to recall the
England international, despite Fabio Borini unlikely to recover from a foot
injury until mid-January.
These
problems have left just Luis Suarez available as a recognised first team
option, with 19-year-old Spaniard Suso thrown into action way ahead of
schedule. And when the Uruguayan forward was out through suspension, Rodgers
had little option but to use midfielder Jonjo Shelvey as the man to lead the
line, and although he did so with some promise in the 3-2 win at West Ham, this
is no long-term fix.
But with the
window due to open in less than a fortnight, there now appears to be some light
on the horizon. It has been widely reported that a £12million deal is in place
with Chelsea for Sturridge, who has struggled to establish himself at Stamford
Bridge. Frustrated back a lack of first team opportunities, the former
Manchester City man has also been disillusioned with his role on the right hand
side of the attack when called upon, as opposed to his favoured role through
the middle.
The
23-year-old will hope to get this by making the move to Liverpool, and he could
even be in place for their FA Cup third round tie at Mansfield Town on 6
January. And he could be joined in the line-up for the trip to Field Mill by
Ince, who was embarrassingly let go by the club in the summer of 2011 during
Kenny Dalglish’s tenure.
The
20-year-old winger, son of former Anfield and Manchester United midfield player
Paul, has gone from strength-to-strength since joining Blackpool, who are set
to make a handsome profit on the £250,000 they paid for his signature 18 months
ago (early reports indicate the Championship club will receive a £6million fee,
although some of this may bizarrely end up at Liverpool as part of a sell-on
clause).
It would be
a surprise if Sturridge and Ince were the only two additions to Rodgers’ squad
before the 31 January deadline. Another striker could even be sought, whilst
there have been suggestions that a commanding centre-half is on the agenda if
they decide to cash in on Daniel Agger, the Denmark international.
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