OPINION
It’s rare to see a former player urge another club to buy his old team’s finest talent, but it appears that that’s what ex Liverpool striker Stan Collymore was doing in his Daily Mirror column on Monday.
The entire premise of Collymore’s article was how Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola should do whatever it takes to sign Reds centre back Virgil van Dijk this summer.
Indeed, Collymore was adamant that the City boss should make it happen: “I know Pep Guardiola has said he’ll prioritise a full-back and a defensive midfielder in the summer. But if I was him the first person I’d be targeting is Virgil van Dijk.
“I’d offer John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi plus £150million for the Dutchman and I wouldn’t stop until Liverpool accepted my offer was simply too good to turn down.”
Sorry, but has Collymore forgotten his Anfield connections? The days of ‘Collymore closing in!’? It very much seems like he has. It’s highly unlikely that a former City man would come out and say Liverpool ought to offer the kitchen sink for Sergio Aguero, that’s for sure.
So why is Collymore saying this? His overall point makes sense, of course. Van Dijk is a generational talent who would elevate any team in the world, including City. But advocating your old team’s Premier League title rivals go out and sign your former side’s best player? That’s just bizarre.
There are a number of things Collymore could have written his column about this week. Kepa Arrizabalaga being quickly reinstalled in the Chelsea team, for example. Or the Brendan Rodgers-related Celtic v Leicester City debate which has been gaining traction recently.
But instead, he chose to urge City to buy Van Dijk. Honestly, what is that all about? The Liverpool supporters will doubtless be raging with their former Anfield favourite and you can’t blame them in the slightest.
