Swansea midfielder Joe Allen has been heavily linked with a
move to Liverpool in recent weeks, with it seemingly only being a matter of
time until he links up with former manager Brendan Rodgers on Merseyside.
According to reports, Swansea Chairman Huw Jenkins is
looking for £15mil for one of their most prized assets, with Liverpool not
looking to spend anything above £10mil on the talented midfielder. A compromise
is expected to be made, with new Swansea manager Michael Laudrup admitting that
he will not force the 22-year-old Welshman to stay at the Liberty Stadium.
“I haven't spoken to Joe (Allen) since I have taken over. I haven't spoken to any of the three Olympics players and we have not had any contact from Liverpool," Laudrup said.
"I am in contact with the chairman every day. We agree
that if there will be an approach then we will have to talk to the player. We
cannot just answer 100% yes or no without having talked to the player.
“That's a problem because he has to concentrate on the
Olympics, but we will have to deal with that if and when it comes to that. You
can force players to stay but how does that help? It doesn't work like that.
It's better to find a solution that suits both parties,” the former Danish
international added.
Rodgers is fully expected to play a 4-3-3 formation with
Liverpool this coming season – the same formation which brought him such
success with Swansea. This leaves space for 3 midfielders in the starting
line-up. With Captain Steven Gerrard seemingly an automatic choice, and the
returning Lucas unlikely to be displaced, this leaves only one spot up for
grabs.
Excluding Gerrard and Lucas, Rodgers has five to six central
midfielders to fill one role. Charlie Adam, Alberto Aquilani, Jay Spearing,
Jordan Henderson, Jonjo Shelvey and possibly Spanish starlet Suso could all
stake a claim for the final midfield position.
Many fans have expressed concern over the potential signing
of Allen due to the already overstaffed midfield position. However, Adam looks
likely to move on this summer, with Fulham looking to use him as a makeweight
in any deal for forward Clint Dempsey. Aquilani is also expected to be granted
a permanent homecoming to Italy before the end of August. It is also believed
that Spearing may be sold, and that one of Henderson or Shelvey will be loaned
out to gain more first team experience.
If the expected activity transpires, suddenly Liverpool will
be thoroughly understaffed in midfield with only Gerrard, Lucas,
Henderson/Shelvey and the inexperienced Suso expected to fill in for a team
challenging on four fronts this season.
Adding Allen to the squad would then make perfect sense. Not
only will he add depth to the squad, he will also add quality. His Xavi-esque
performances for Swansea last year drew many plaudits alongside midfield
partner Leon Britton, and for good reason. He shows class beyond his years and
is a very consistent performer. Many Liverpool fans took their first close look
at him during Great Britain’s 2-0 loss to Brazil in a warm-up game for the
Olympics, and most were impressed with what they saw.
Composure on the ball, great vision, an array of long and
short passing, a fantastic turn of pace and deceptively strong in the tackle –
he could be exactly what Liverpool need to compliment the anchorman Lucas and
the attacking instincts of Gerrard. His intelligence is a trait difficult to
find in many other players of his age. He constantly shows for the ball in
tight situations, and his positional sense both defensively and offensively is
excellent. He does not shy away from possession, he will receive the ball in
any situation and distribute.
Lucas is amazing at what he does, as is Gerrard, but
Liverpool does not have a player like Allen on the books at the moment. The
closest comparison would be Henderson (who will become an excellent player once
he gains more experience) but at the same age as Allen it is undeniable who the
better player is. Henderson will become an attack-minded midfielder once he
settles on a position, while Allen is much more of a pure central midfielder.
While Lucas is better at playing the holding role in
midfield, should he get injured Allen could fill in for him, which could be vital
should Spearing leave the club. Allen’s box-to-box attributes means that he
could fill any role in the midfield trio. His pace and close control make him a
threat in the final third which was highlighted at Swansea last season when he
broke forward to good effect, grabbing himself four goals in the process – as many
as Adam and Henderson managed all season combined.
The 4-3-3 formation Rodgers will be employing with Liverpool
is a relatively new system for most of the current squad. Having a player who
is tailor-made for a midfield spot and who will immediately understand the ins
and outs of how Rodgers wants the team to play could be priceless.
Liverpool fans are concerned over the £15mil price tag,
claiming that a top class winger should be prioritized. However, Rodgers’
system relies on ultimate control of the midfield, and bringing in Allen will
allow Liverpool to do so extremely effectively. His versatility of ability will
make him a real asset to the team and a firm fan favorite. The Welsh answer to
Xavi will hopefully be putting on the red of Liverpool instead of the white of
Swansea sooner rather than later.
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