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Is he the right ‘One’?

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Sunderland LFC targetONE of the possibilities of this summer that has gotten lost in all the speculation surrounding Luis Suarez is the future of Pepe Reina.

Reports surfaced during the season that the Spanish goalkeeper could be on his way out of Liverpool in return to his first club, Barcelona. Although Reina’s possible return to the Nou Camp hinges on what Victor Valdes decides, it is never a bad idea to have a plan in the works.

There have been various keepers rumoured to be desired by Liverpool throughout the season including, but not limited to, Asmir Begovic, Marten Stekelenburg, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. However as days progress it appears most likely that Simon Mignolet will be Liverpool’s next goalkeeper.

The 24 year old Belgian international is currently plying his trade with Sunderland but recent reports suggest that the £10m rated goalkeeper is close to making a switch to Liverpool. Named Sunderland’s player of the year last term, Mignolet has shown that he can compete at the top level of English football.

Whether playing mind games or being honest, Joe Hart praised Simon Mignolet, before one of the matches between the men’s respective teams, as being the best keeper in the season up to that point. During that 2012/13 season, Mignolet played in 38 games and recorded 11 clean sheets.

At 24 years of age, Mignolet would certainly have the possibility of more years on the tread than Pepe Reina who turns 31 at the end of August. The age difference may provide the Belgian with room to grow and his best days may indeed be ahead of him.
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After a slow start that was partially marred by injuries, Reina played in 31 matches and recorded 14 clean sheets; 3 better than Mignolet in 7 less matches. Although that difference may appear striking, one would be hard to argue that the help Mignolet received from his Sunderland teammates was the same as Reina’s Liverpool men.

After witnessing windows of wasteful spending Liverpool fans have a right to be cautiously optimistic with manager Brendan Rodger’s approach since the January window. Although Simon Mignolet may not be everyone’s top choice it is reported that Arsenal are also interested in the shot-stopper but a move to Liverpool is more likely for the Belgian. Any time Liverpool can beat out a team in the top-four for a player than one should consider it a sign of their desire to regain their competitiveness.

Whether Reina stays or go, only time will tell. However, Liverpool are well-served by having a plan in place and ensuring that they are not left without a suitable replacement come the start of the season.
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22 comments

  • Liam says:

    We’ll see where this go

  • stevieG says:

    This is catastrophic news for LFC. Mignolet is a very good keeper but he is not coming as back up. ,which means reina is going .

    Although reina has had a few dodgy moments recently he has not even reached his peak yet. Most goalies are at their best in the mid 30s . Reina has his best years to come.

    Not only would we be losing a great keeper but we are also losing another leader and a great character

    If we lose reina. We will regret it for many many years

    • Erin says:

      And it will take a while for the defense to settle. Instead of concentrating on the Suarez solution, we are causing more problems to be dealt with.

    • Raymond says:

      i agree with you stevie..but i see some sense in all the players linked.. henrich , alberto , lorri, papa.. but not mignolet.unless reina has Personally told BR he wants to leave.YNWA

  • Chichi says:

    Lets hope 4 d best, u never can tell. Thou Reina sucks at times but he’s still one of the best keepers in Epl.

  • Jason says:

    I am a lifelong sunderland fan and am gutted he is going, you are buying the best keeper in the league by a long way honest he is that good , we are up because of him, he is top class and a top pro, its a great bit of business for you, he goes with the fans best wishes because he deserves better – soon reina will be a distant memory.

    • Martin says:

      Agree. He is real class, and will get even better, remember he is orly 24. Without him sunderland would have been relegated last season, without doubt. Wish him all the best, he deserve to play in front of the Kop!

    • Erin says:

      He is a good goalkeeper from what I have seen. The problem is, change is gradual. As it stands, we are going to lose the best striker. Sketel is on his way out, and again, he is a seasoned PL defender with experience of playing at the highest level in the CL and for his country. Add that to losing Carragher to retirement…we will end up with a completely new defensive line up. Surely this is not going to make things easy for the young lad. I have written previously, BR is attempting to change too much too soon and the risks of it backfiring grows even further.
      This season should have been about getting rid of the deadwood such as Downing, Carrol and Co. Add Mr Suarez who is practically begging to leave, it should have put us in a prime position to rebuild our attacking line up and midfield. The above players will bring in upwards to 60 million pounds to spend.

      Additions in defense should have be Toure as the forth choice plus another upper coming youngster as Coates is not making it so far. If there is cash left, another left back. Why complicate things with selling Skertel, Reina? Sort out the mess further upfield, then deal with the defensive line up next year. Surely is the sensible option?
      YNWA

      • Raymond says:

        your absolutely right erin .. i hope we learn our lessons from arsenal..experience is so vital in a team.At some point we might regret it if we sell reina and skrtel.YNWA

  • Shearer says:

    Cant understand why a keeper who wants to better himself goes to a club not anytime soon playing champions league football or even european plastic league football. Strange. Better off at a big club like Everton

  • ndubuisi says:

    pls we should sign gud defenders nd strikers,i still belief in liverpool.is Andy carrol really going. Without suarez we r going to survive

  • Excel says:

    Lfc fans are not stable,today reina cost us reds 3 points get rid of him tomorrow he’s d best. Pls stick to 1 word cos i guess BR might as well be reading ur comments. Give him confidence to rebuild d team rather than pushing him to the wall and looking 4 d next excuse to nail him down. YNWA

  • Raymond says:

    Excellent comment

  • Akhona says:

    Please give the manager time! I believe in the players that are linked with Liverpool fc and surely if things go according to the managers plan then our team will great to watch and will win with style and class! What I like most about the players being linked to the reds is that they all want to work for that famous red shirt! Remember the manager wants players with gr8 character!

  • Ibrahim says:

    Reina a spanish player that started his career with Barca, a team currently challenging for all the competition they enter, considered to be the best or one of the best teams of recent times. Reina has a chance go back home, this decision of buying Mignolet is a forced one, I think have said they want Reina and Reina has told Brenda he wants to go. In place of Reina I would liked us to get Ter Stegan, but Mignolet seems very consistent, a player that saved Sunderland a number of points last season.

  • Samuel Charles Evans says:

    First of all we should be flogging any other players right away before we even think about selling the better senior players that are helping.

    Yes Skrtel & Reina are not at the peak of what they can be, Reina though is a risky one to sell or to move on, he has done a bit of flirting with Barca, if i was the owner or the manager i would be getting a bit pissed at that.

    Shelvey, coates, flanagan, pacheco, spearing, ngoo, assiadi, – should all be told to leave well before we need to use Reina and Skrtel fees to only bring in what may or may not be an upgrade?

    id like to see;
    carroll – sold
    wilson – gone
    Pacheco – sell
    spearing – sell
    assiadi – sell
    coates – sell
    ngoo – sell
    shelvey – sell
    flanagan – sell
    robinson – loan
    wisdom – loan

    if we have to see Suarez go then no more so called unproven young talent at all!!! we would need a senior experienced player that can come in, as well as a flair player with proven ability but is young and will get better.

    LAMELA & DAVID VILLA = SUAREZ

    if we have to sell Skrtel = Alderweireld plus huge wage save!
    if we had to sell Reina = Mignolet. plus huge wage save!

    • Erin says:

      You are not concerned that mignolet might crack under pressure or anderweirlt might flop ? You save wages but sliding down the table is false economy.

  • Samuel Charles Evans says:

    OUT –

    shelvey, spearing, assaidi, coates, Pacheco, flanagan, wilson(gone), carroll (sold), carragher(retired), downing, ngoo,

    IN – Eriksen, Alderweireld, Tello, aspas, Luis Alberto, Ilori, Toure, Atsu,

    Reina &
    Suarez? we don’t know yet? but if Suarez goes and Reina stays then for me –

    suarez money = David Villa and Lamela

  • Samuel Charles Evans says:

    REINA
    JOHNSON ALDERWEIRELD AGGER ENRIQUE

    GERRARD LUCUS ERIKSEN
    COUTINHO

    LAMELA VILLA

    SUBS; – others
    BORINI
    MIGNOLET
    TELLO
    STURRIDGE
    CISSOKHO
    HENDERSON
    ALLEN
    TOURE
    ATSU
    STERLING
    KELLY
    ALBERTO
    IBE
    SKRTEL
    ILORI

    LOAN- SUSO, ROBINSON, WISDOM

  • Samuel Charles Evans says:

    saying that if Suarez and Reina stays which would make us such stronger, and must can see that Reina is still better then Mignolet id like this –

    these are player that are clearly not doing as well as what they could be doing and the wages and all things taken into account can go.
    Id like to see us buy more quality rather then quantity (which is key) most of the deals that are close to be doing done or can be done will be off set by player sales, so that helps. but id want the following brought in for depth and total quality to add!

    Downing – Tello and a huge save on wages

    Carragher – Toure and a huge save on wages

    Carroll – Eriksen and a huge save on wages

    Shelvey – Luis Alberto and save on wages

    Spearing –
    Flanagan – All of these pays to Aspas deal. and a huge wage save
    Pacheco –
    Assiadi –
    Ngoo –

    Tom Ince – (we have a sell on clause so that we get a percentage( we will get around 2 mill for whatever club he goes to) – most of which pays for – Atsu

    wilson- wage save

    Coates – Ilori

    Carragher – huge wage save

    Leaves owners to buy –

    Alderweireld & David villa & Aly Cissokho & Mignolet for £40 mill net spend and with the club still paying out less for wages.

    Loan deals – Suso, Wisdom, Robinson.

    REINA
    JOHNSON ALDERWEIRELD AGGER ENRIQUE

    GERRARD LUCUS ERIKSEN
    TELLO VILLA SUAREZ

  • Samuel Charles Evans says:

    Wanyama !! Eriksen, etc etc, what ever happens at Liverpool this summer,
    we have to offload crap like-

    Spearing, Assiadi, Shelvey, Flanagan, Pacheco, Coates- before we even think about selling the players like Downing, Skrtel etc.

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