Would you like this FREE former World Cup star at Anfield?

An interesting development coming out of South America about Argentina World Cup star Juan Roman Riquelme. Now 31, the former Argentina playmaker is available for free after failing to agree a new contract with childhood club Boca Juniors. He has been playing the last year for them for free but now is demanding a contract which the cash-strapped Argentinean club cannot pay. Last week he admitted he would have to leave Boca reluctantly for a second time and look for employment elsewhere. Corinthians and Flamengo have apparently rumoured to have offered Riquelme lucrative contracts and it has also been suggested that his former team Argentinos Juniors could also be in the running. West Ham have also said to have inquired about the player, but considering he is still at a good age and has starred for Argentina in the 2006 World Cup, why aren’t bigger clubs looking at him? Considering he is free and may lower his wage demands for the right club, should even Liverpool consider looking at him?

Riquelme is no doubt a very talented player. He started out as a youth player at Argentinos Juniors before being transferred to Boca Juniors in 1996, the club he supported as a boy. A teenage prodigy in Argentina, he made his debut for the national side a year later, impressing for both club and country alike. After six successful years with Boca, he was transferred to Barcelona for an estimated €11million. Many have seen Riquelme’s time at Barca as a failure but his struggles at the club were less down to his own performances on the pitch rather down to internal political conflicts going on at the club.

The signing was made by the President and board members, rather than the manager, and coach Louis Van Gaal was unhappy with the signing of Riquelme. The Argentinean playmaker rarely featured in his only season at the club. Used sparingly as a sub or played out of position on the wing, Riquelme found it hard to settle at the Catalan club, and after one season he was loaned out to Villarreal. It was with the “Yellow Submarines” under Manuel Pellegrini that Riquelme excelled. Playing as the central playmaker in the team, assisting Diego Forlan up front, and backed by Marcos Senna behind him, he flourished into La Liga’s most creative player. He helped the small town club to their best ever finish in Spain’s top division and guided the team through an amazing run to the Champions League semi finals in 2006. His penalty, saved by Arsenal’s Jens Lehmann in the second leg at El Madrigal, prevented the tie from going into extra time and it ended their long run in Europe.

Returning to play for Argentina in the 2006 World Cup, manager Jose Pekerman, who had coached him at youth level when Riquelme guided his team to South American Youth Championship and FIFA U-20 World Cup glory in 1997, picked Riquelme as the central playmaker for the summer’s tournament in Germany. Argentina played some of the best football of the tournament in the early group stagse, with Riquelme the focal point of every attack, the highlight of which was the remarkable 6-0 drubbing of Serbia. During the quarter final tie against Germany, everything seemed to be going to plan again as Riquelme’s corner was scored by Roberto Ayala to make it 1-0. Riquelme was however inexplicably substituted with the teams still in a tight contest and Germany went onto to equalise and win on penalties.

It also started to go wrong for him at club level and after a dispute with Manuel Pellegrini and the Villarreal board, he returned on loan to boyhood club Boca Juniors. After scoring goals in the last 16, quarter finals, semi-finals and first leg of the final, Riquelme helped his club win the Copa Libertadores becoming the tournament’s MVP. Boca struggled to afford to sign the player permanently though and an €8million move to Atletico Madrid broke down at the last minute before he eventually re-signed with the Argentinean club on a permanent deal in January 2008, rejecting many big money offers from European clubs. He quickly helped his side to the Copa Libertadores semi finals and to win the Apertura (Opening) Championship at the end of 2008.

At international level, he retired from playing for Argentina after the 2006 World Cup before making a dramatic return in the 2007 Copa America, leading the team to the final. He also played as one of the 3 over-aged players in the 2008 Olympic Games, helping them to a gold medal, captaining the side and scoring against arch-rivals Brazil in the semi-final. He has however decided to retire from the international fold once again after a disagreement with new coach Diego Maradona.

There is no doubt that Riquelme can be a difficult personality to handle. His times at Villarreal and Barcelona ended sourly and at international level he has fallen out with a few managers. On the plus side, he is a superb creative talent and at 31, a free transfer for any club would be a steal. He does however require a team to be built around him; he is the central axis for any attacking play for his teams and would demand top billing in the side. There are also question marks about whether he can still play at the required level of a top European league. The only circumstance I could see him being of interest to Liverpool is if our talismanic captain Steven Gerrard does leave. In such an event, Riquelme could be seen as a cheap solution if he was willing to play in England. Certain question marks would have to be answered over the size of his contract and it would need to be ascertained whether he was fully committed to the cause for Liverpool. The motivation for Riquelme would be the chance to play for one of the world’s best club’s nearing the end of his career, and the only real question would be whether he could still cut it at the top level. Is he too slow for the Premier League? Would he enjoy life in England? Do we even need him?

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Football FanCast writer Oscar Pye-Jeary documents his time in South Africa following England in the 2010 World Cup. (England v USA).

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