Liverpool have been struggling badly since the start of the year – falling out of the top four and their performance has been quite a shadow of the first half of the campaign. Since their narrow 1-0 victory over Manchester City on New Year’s Eve, they are yet to nab three points in five Premier League matches.
Meanwhile, manager Jurgen Klopp is already identifying players for summer recruit. According to tuttomercatoweb.com, Middlesbrough midfielder Gaston Ramirez is a surprise member of the wish list.
The Uruguayan midfielder was first introduced to Premier League football by Southampton in 2012 following a £12 million move from Bologna. He gradually earned plenty of accolades, being a creative fulcrum right behind the forward line. Yet series of injuries saw his career derail, where he was sent on loan to Hull City and then Middlesbrough. The 26-year-old played a big part in steering Boro back to England’s top flight and the loan stint turned permanent as a reward for his contribution.
It’s pretty evident that he has rediscovered his swagger and out of the blue, he dropped a bombshell by handing over a transfer request last month when champions Leicester City were happy to offer him a new home. However, the deal did not go through and he still remains as an integral part of Boro.
Since his future is once again dangling on a string, tuttomercatoweb.com add that informal talks have already commenced between his representatives and Liverpool.
His boss Aitor Karanka stated:
“He is and he will be an important player in this team and he knows that. He knows the effort that the club made to sign him last season and therefore that the club made this summer to sign him permanently.”
After 24 games played, Middlesbrough sit 15th in the league and only one point above the drop zone. In fact, Leicester are one level lower than his current club with similar 21 points since Boro possesses a better goal difference.
Liverpool were quiet in the winter window and Klopp claimed that he couldn’t identify any right individuals to improve his side. Knowing that Ramirez wasn’t comfortable at Riverside, the former Borussia Dortmund boss could have easily thrown in a bid last month. This somewhat puts the situation in a cloud.
The Reds no longer strikes fear in opponent’s defences. These days, most sides who are playing against the Merseyside club employ deep defensive tactics and look to take advantage during set pieces and counter-attacks. They absolutely need a midfielder who could keep their attacking moves ticking like clockwork. With the ability to unravel defences with commendable passing vision and whipping in dangerous set-pieces, Ramirez could be the Plan B card in Klopp’s offensive deck.
Liverpool are constantly linked with a number of world-class players in recent weeks, therefore Ramirez doesn’t seem to be a glamour signing that the fans are expecting.
For now, it’s best for the midfielder to knuckle down and help Boro to remain in the league. Which would not only see his stock rise but open up other greener pastures to consider.
