Rodgers Not Looking for Squad Players

Keeping our eyes peeled for quality
Although the chase for Mohamed Salah seems done and dusted, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is yet to concede defeat in the chase for the influential winger, all the while insisting that Liverpool have a number of targets – who aren’t just squad players — in their sights.

The Anfield outfit has been linked with a host of promising talent since the transfer window opened on the first day of January, but any real movement has been scarce with the move for the Egyptian the only real news to report on. With Salah yet to agree to personal terms with suitors in waiting Chelsea, Rodgers says he’s not sure if the “Egyptian Messi” has already completed his move to Stamford Bridge.

“I’m not sure whether that deal is definitely done yet or not,” the Reds boss told talkSPORT. “It is one where the agent of the player and the clubs were talking but if the deal can’t be done, the deal can’t be done.” After weeks of negotiation between Liverpool and Swiss side FC Basel, the London club swooped in and made a rival bid for the 21-year olds services with a more attractive payment schedule rumoured to be the tipping point between the two competing parties.

Even though they’ve missed out on their number one transfer target, Rodgers insists that Liverpool will continue to look for the right players to bring in this January and intimated that he’d rather give one of their promising youngsters a shot rather than bring in a player that’s not yet first team material. “It is hard to bring in players that can improve the team, especially in this window” conceded the Northern Irishman. “I’d rather wait and look at our young players than bring in one or two squad players.”

Who the Reds boss might consider to be a “squad player” is, of course, open to debate, but with his players dropping like flies, bringing in a healthy body or two might not be a bad idea…




7 thoughts on “Rodgers Not Looking for Squad Players

  • January 24, 2014 at 8:23 pm
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    I suppose this is mildly comforting, though the activity over the past few days cannot be acceptable, and BR must know that. I’ve read various reports over what exactly stalled LFC, but most point to Salah and his agent waiting for another offer. If BR wants to be successful in transfers, he can’t just sit and wait. Put down the hammer and say “if you don’t accept, we’ll go somewhere else.” we’ve lost too many targets in the past because we wait for the other club stalling to make a decision. In the case of Salah, it has come out that the offer accepted was around 16 million, double what we offered. I mean, he isnt worth that much, so kudos for not giving in, but a sooner decision would have been better.
    Thankfully we are in after Romulo. Injured or not, he is still a DM. Better than no midfielder at all…
    Also there was a report about a week ago about Yarmolenko being BR’s alternative to Salah. To be honest, I like Yarmolenko better, so lets hope it was true!

  • January 24, 2014 at 8:58 pm
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    I think we’ll end up bringing someone in just before the window closed like we did with Sakho, Ilori and Moses in the summer. Hopefully it’s someone like Romulo or Yarmolenko; this squad needs a serious boost.

  • January 24, 2014 at 9:40 pm
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    yes bcuz bringing in a guy who has been injured for the better part of 18 months is another piece of stellar business… somebody needs to tell Rodgers that if he wants to play with the adults he needs to stop doing transfer business like a 2 year old.. the sheer incompetence of his team is stunning!

  • January 24, 2014 at 10:34 pm
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    Im sorry to say this but if where wanting better players than whats already in the squad we will after pay more than 8 million pounds on a player.

  • January 24, 2014 at 11:46 pm
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    We paid 8.5mil for Coutinho this time last year…

  • January 24, 2014 at 11:47 pm
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    You know what? In light of our injury problems, we probably shouldn’t even have a look at him.

    Good point.

  • January 25, 2014 at 3:36 am
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    It is just boils down to the true incompetence on the management part for the failure in securing Salah. Why everything is so last minute? But it is the comments from BR that pisses me off. First he comment on lfc thin squad after Chelsea lost at Stamford Bridge last Dec. Now you are saying that you do not need to add Defenders when your full backs ain’t really performing to par. Come on, please stop that bullshit.

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