According to a number of media outlets, Liverpool have had a big money big for Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez turned down as the Spanish club look to hold on for an offer closer to their £21.5mil valuation of the 23-year old.
The Reds have struggled in front of the net this season at both ends of the pitch with the reported £20mil the Anfield outfit paid out to bring Dejan Lovren to Merseyside last summer failing to solve their defensive woes. The Croatian, who has spent much of the second half of the season watching from the sidelines, has only just reclaimed a place in the Liverpool backline on the back of a hamstring injury suffered by French defender Mamadou Sakho. Obviously, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is hoping for far better things from Martinez.
Just how the Anfield outfits defence will look next season remains to be seen. Although veteran defender Kolo Toure is almost certain to leave at the end of the season, they have at least two center-halfs heading back to Merseyside right about the same time with both Sebastian Coates and Tiago Ilori returning from their respective loans away from the club. Throw Andre Wisdom, who has also been known to play as a fullback and who has spent a fruitful season at West Bromwich Albion, into the mix and the waters are muddied even further.
That being said, none of them have looked particularly convincing during their spells away from Liverpool, which could prompt them to push their interest in Martinez even further. The Reds had scouts watching on as Real Sociedad lost out to Barcelona last weekend in La Liga and appear to have been impressed enough to table an offer of £14.3mil — it’s fallen far short of what La Real want for him, but it’s an offer none the less.
More on this as it drags on endlessly…
