It is fair to say that even after completing seven transfers this summer, Liverpool still needs reinforcement in several areas, most notably, defence, central midfield and attack (centre forward). The club still is searching the market for a right fit and very recently, a new name from an expected competition has popped out from nowhere.
According to the reports, Liverpool are now targeting Napoli’s 25-year-old attacker Lorenzo Insigne. Despite adding the players like Sadio Mane and Gini Wijnaldum, it is expected that Liverpool boss wants to settle for more and adding more fuel to the rumour, the Italia’s legend recently hinted that the player might consider a move away from Naples and also confirmed that there are some big clubs looking for him.
A Couple of month back, his agent, Fabio Andreotti, suggested that his client would love to be like Francesco Totti of Naples, but due to some disputes regarding the contract, this might not happen.
“In our last meeting, we didn’t like some of the answers that the club gave us,” Andreotti told Radio CRC. “Lorenzo made a decision with his heart, but a player’s professional life doesn’t last forever, and when other clubs are willing to reward you financially, then you’ve got to get onto the market.
“With a heavy heart, I must say that there are clubs that are considering us. Napoli don’t want to let him go, but the contract they’re offering does not satisfy us, we have better offers.”
Espn further stated that the club from Naples was only offering wages of €2.5 million a year, while Andreotti was insistent on €3.5m. So is it the time for Liverpool to make their move? Well, the player is a reputed personnel, and we certainly believe that he could make the Merseysiders a formidable club once again.
The 25-year-old is known for his tactical brilliance and thanks to his experience of working under Antonio Conte, he knows how to slip the defence with his off the ball movements. Furthermore, he is highly regarded for his versatility which allows him to play on numerous attacking positions, most notably, on both the wings and as a false nine. Besides that, he can also operate the game as a striker when in need.
With Roberto Firmino struggling to cope the pressure, Insigne could well be an option for the club. But the problem that might come is his first team opportunity; his or someone else’s. A player of Insigne’s stature would demand a first team football and Klopp is unlikely to replace Mane or Coutinho, hence, Firmino might get pushed to the bench.
Despite being a winger, he scored an impressive 13 goals last season and that attracted the interest from the Catalan giants Barcelona as well. Furthermore, he could provide Liverpool a completely new dimension with his extraordinary experience of the top brand of football.
Just like Firmino, he has pace and his short physical structure helps him to maintain the balance on the field, and many players including Napoli’s legends Goran Pandev has referred to him as the “Italian Messi”. There is no doubt that Insigne is a finished article, while Firmino still needs that cutting edge, hence, it is safe to say that Insigne would come as an upgrade for Firmino at the Anfield.
