Liverpool Making a Move For Schalke’s Huntelaar?

With 3 signings down, Liverpool’s summer transfer window seems to be picking up pace, something which may escalate further with the impending exit of Luis Suarez. If Suarez leaves before the start of the new season, then Liverpool will almost certainly be in the market for further striking options and a name that’s returned time and again is Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The Dutch striker, currently plying his trade for Bundesliga side, Schalke, has had an impressive career for both club and country, with 278 goals in 434 games, across the Eredivisie, La Liga, Seria A and the Bundesliga. At the age of 30, Huntelaar has also totted up an impressive international career in a very competitive Dutch side, managing 35 goals in 63 games.

With records like that, it’s hard to argue against the striker’s ability to score goals. The only concern though, would be about his ability to score regularly at the top level. His spells at both Ajax and Schalke have led to impressive hauls, and he’s scored plenty of goal for both clubs.

However, during his ‘big opportunities’ at Real Madrid and AC Milan, Huntelaar flattered to deceive, only managing 15 goals across 50 games at both clubs. Whether Huntelaar would be considered a genuine ‘replacement’ for Suarez is highly doubtful, but may be more of a short-term stop-gap, a back up option if a younger, higher quality target can not be acquired.

Of course, there is still also the likelihood that Huntelaar is simply playing games with his current club in order to wangle a new, more lucrative contract out of them but either way, while he’s clearly shown throughout his career that he has the calibre to put the ball in the back of the net, he’s not exactly a name that would have Reds everywhere salivating in the way names such as Shaqiri and Sanchez would.