THE tabloids were all over it this week when news broke about Kolo Toure’s apparently imminent departure from Manchester City for Liverpool.
If that one turns out to be true, then they deserve a small amount of credit for getting that one right seemingly out of nowhere.
Toure is a decent footballer and a solid defender usually and there isn’t any shame in playing second fiddle to Vincent Kompany.
However, it worries me about signing a defender who has found himself behind the likes of Joleon Lescott and Matija Nastisic – is this really how low the Reds should be aiming their sights?
If Toure is signed it should be purely as cover, nothing else.
It is the potential signing of Kyrgiakos Papadopoulos which excites me though. The 21 year old Greek international is a superb footballer, a solid defender and a beast of a player. He combines the hunger and passion of a Jamie Carragher with all the technical ability of a top-level footballer and those are rare qualities to have in a defender, even now!
At such a tender age the young Greek centre-back has played a great deal of football for Schalke in the past two seasons, despite missing much of this season after having surgery, so he’d bring a lot of experience to the defence that the likes of Coates might be missing at the moment.
Being 6’ft, he might not be the tallest defender at the club but his broad shoulders and demeanour would make the youngster a rather imposing figure, perhaps even a captain in the making.
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Not only that but he bring a penchant for scoring a few goals here and there to the mix too, having scored 7 in his last 62 for his current club, along with a few for his country in less than 20 appearances.
I’m not sure whether he’d come as cheap as the £12 million currently being quoted, as he is a top prospect and I’d be surprised if his valuation didn’t come closer to transfermarkt.co.uk’s valuation of £16 million (with reports as early as the morning claiming Chelsea had been quoted as high as £19 million!)
I firmly believe that he’d be worth the price however, and the £15 million we’re believed to be receiving for Andy Carroll should just about cover it.
With all the rumours of a move for Ashley Williams in the past few months, news of Papadopoulos being number one target for the Reds is welcome news indeed and I welcome further positive reports regarding this potential transfer.
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Papa, will be the Gaffa in our defensive guard if we can get him. He looks first and foremost a defender and I think Brenda thinks he can develop into a decent footballer also. He would be a very good replacement for Carragher, he young, already has sound ability and potential improve and give that bit extra.
Well ya … we really need Papa he’s a strong player..a beast of a player..n dtz wad Liverpool need right now a strong defence..A man who can replace our Carra n I think Papa can jus fit in2 Carras mould..I hope he Joins Liverpool…n also want 2 see Eriksen in a Liverpool shirt..jus hopin.. YNWA ??
Papa is the kind of player we need rigth now in anfield .if we can get him and alderwield and may be lucas digne of lile our defence wil be superb nxt season .YNWA
yes we are heading in the right direction but of concern to me is that we are subnstituting experience for youngsters,no team has achieved anything significant with a young squad,we need to blend this young group with some experience if we are to take meaningful steps towards the top 4
Emmmm, I can’t see us paying 16/19 million for him though.
Perhaps his price is lower due to the knee injury and not playing much second part of schalkes season. Hope he’s fully recovered and hasn’t lost any pace before we sign him. The last time we signed an injured player we really suffered with Aquillani.
Lfc shd b careful in dia transfers to avoid waste of money.
I dont really wot is wrong with kolo toure dat he can’t be signed by liv’pul,dat how u pple was writing unpleasant article coutinho the other tind even b4 he sighned at all the same turn out to be sensational all season long.
Toure is 32 and was banned for taking drugs !!!. Not the type of person we want is it ?
*[Ter stegen/ziegler/begovic]if reina leaves,*Toure, *Digne,* Papa, *[Diame/wanyama/strootman], *Tello,* Eriksen,*a striker=£50. Then we should sell *downing,*skrtel, *spearing,*wilson,*ngoo,*pacheco,*allen,*shelvey,*carroll=£35 +20;->£55. We should get those players.
The only team we finished above, that hasn’t been in a lower league in the past 10yrs is Villa. In Rafa’s first season he brought us Alonso(£10m) and Garcia(£6m) for a total of £16m, which is what BR spent on Allen alone. In 7months at Chelsea, Rafa has reached 2 semi finals and 2 cup finals, one which he won. All this was achieved with no support from the fans, pure PROFESSIONALISM! What is he going to with supporters that love him, like we we do? Please don’t waste the clubs time and money, sack Rodgers and Bring Rafa home…