It is fair to say that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has not been sitting around watching the paint dry or the grass grow when it comes to transfer dealings this summer.
The Reds manager has got a lot of his business done early, with seven new players at Anfield in the shape of Joe Gomez, Adam Bogdan, Danny Ings, James Milner, Nathaniel Clyne, Roberto Firmino and Bobby Adekanye – albeit the latter is a youngster
It will test all of Rodgers’ managerial credentials to gel that lot together into a brand new team, but there was of course little doubt that a serious shake up was needed to get the Anfield faithful back on the Northern Irishman’s side after a disappointing season last time out.
However there is still one position that the Reds fans will be keen to seen filled with a top player and that is up top in the striking role. Liverpool have been linked with many names in recent weeks but one they have missed out on is Sevilla’s Carlos Bacca… or should I now say AC Milan striker, Carlos Bacca.
The Colombian has moved from the Europa League champions to join the Rossoneri, who finished tenth last term, 35 points short of Serie A winners Juventus. It would seem the San Siro is more of a draw than Merseyside, something that will be a big worry for Liverpool’s fans and owners alike.
As Liverpool are a club of huge heritage with a massive fan base, when the big signings become available they expect to be the big draw.
However, it could even be put that Liverpool have already missed out on their best potential deal of the summer. Although Bacca is not really a household name, he came onto the radar of many clubs following his exploits in the Europa League and La Liga last season.
Whilst the Colombian only stands at 5ft. 11″, he heavily relies on his physical attributes to score goals, something that would fit well with the style of the Premier League.
Bacca is strong – he can bully centre-backs – is a good finisher and can play with both back to goal or in behind – a vital striking quality.
Put that with his 28 goals last season and it all starts to stack up. He cost just £21.2m, too – a big bargain for a 28-year-old striker in his prime.
Whilst he is not exactly in the class of Luis Suarez there are some similarities, as the Colombian is capable of replicating the presence of that of the Uruguayan, which would have given the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Firmino a striker to play off.
Obviously when you miss out on a signing you look for the other options and the main alternative at the moment is Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, who is valued over £10m more than Bacca, is far less experienced and cannot match Bacca’s all-round quality.
The fact that Rodgers has not been able to secure that one signing that will complete his new side could well be something to come back and haunt him.
As Bacca could have given the Reds the lift needed to reach the Champions League it looks like they have missed out on their best deal of the summer already.
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