At 20 years old, Palermo’s Danish centre-half Simon Kjaer has still got his best years ahead of him, but he has never hidden his desire to play for his boyhood team Liverpool. In recent weeks however, he has said he would only leave Italy if the offer was too good to refuse::
“I have another three years on my current deal with Palermo. It would take an offer to which you can’t say no, to arrive, for me to leave here. I am a regular for this team and I have the chance to play in some prestigious competitions with the pink and black jersey.”
Kjaer started off his career in his native Denmark with FC Midtjylland and he was named Under 19 Danish talent of the year in the season he broke into the first team. His talent had already been recognised at international level, and he had progressed through the country’s youth ranks, being scouted by many of Europe’s top clubs along the way. During his first season at club level, he had already attracted interest from English clubs Chelsea and Middlesbrough and there was even an offer rejected from Real Madrid.
Despite all the speculation though, Kjaer made the move to Italian side Palermo in the Summer of 2008 for €4million after playing just 21 league games for Midtjylland. During his first season at the club he endeavoured to break into the first team reckoning, and he made his debut in October 2008, coming on as a half-time substitute, in a 3-1 home defeat to Fiorentina. He did not have to wait long for his first goal in the Pink and Black when he scored in only his third appearance for the club in a 3-0 victory over Chievo in early November.
Since, the Dane has established himself as a first team regular at the Stadio Renzo Barbera and has played over 50 league games for the club. Praised by sections of the Italian media, Kjaer is certainly a very gifted young defender. Jumping straight from your first season in the Danish league into the bear pit of Serie A was a big challenge but Kjaer has showed no signs of being overawed by his top class striker opponents. Despite playing against some of the toughest and most powerful attackers in world football, Kjaer’s uncompromising, strong but athletic style has made him a tough opponent to reckon with . This athleticism is combined with an excellent footballing brain, allowing him to quickly anticipate opposition attacks and nip them in the bud before they trouble the backline. He is also tall at 6ft 3, and his strength and power are utilised in his great aerial ability, allowing him to win the majority of headers. He can be slightly ill-disciplined positional wise on occasion but he is still young and will certainly develop with age.
All of these abilities meant it was not long before he was recognised by his country and he made his senior international debut back in February 2009 forming a solid partnership with Liverpool defender Daniel Agger at the centre of the Danish defence. The pairing were central figures in getting Denmark to the World Cup and they will certainly demonstrate their talents in the tournament in South Africa. At club level, Kjaer has forged a strong partnership with centre back Cesare Bovo, and this season he has helped the Rosanero to 4th place in the league. There are ambitions for a Champions League place and Kjaer has suggested (as shown above) he is willing to stay to realise these aims. However Kjaer has never hidden his love for Liverpool, and with Daniel Agger already at the club, he has stated he would love to link up with his Danish team-mate:
“The Premier League is the best league in the world and then there is Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain. England and the physical playing style would probably suit me better. In case the right offers come, it would be exciting to form a partnership with Daniel Agger at Liverpool.”
Kjaer is rumoured to have a minimum fee release clause of £11million and although the fee maybe steep considering the Reds current financial plight, the money to shell out for him could well be worth it. A 20 year old defender with this much potential does not come around everyday and considering he has already stated his desire to join the Reds, it is certainly a move Rafa Benitez should be considering. Otherwise , there are many other clubs waiting in the wings. Juventus were rumoured to have offered £18million rated striker Amauri in exchange for the Dane; Chelsea, Wolfsburg and Tottenham are also said to be interested, but the main rivals to his signature could be Manchester United. Despite his affiliations with Liverpool, Kjaer alreadyhas said back in October, in the Danish newspaper Tipsbladet, that he would consider a move to Old Trafford if it was the right thing to do professionally:
“If United just had two defenders whilst Liverpool had three, I would choose United without hesitation. It does not help to choose with the heart in that kind of situation. I am a professional.”
The summer could see an interesting tug of war for the defender.
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at editor@live4liverpool.com
