Would any of these players improve the squad?
With the FA Cup now a distant dream, and a miracle required to reach next season’s UEFA Champions League, thoughts are naturally starting to turn to who we can bring in in the summer to turn us back into title challengers.
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According to the Daily Mail, there are five players who Brendan Rodgers is definitely keen to land, but will they actually improve our chances of battling it out with the top teams in the league?
Here is a look at each of the players and what they may – or may not – bring:
Danny Ings (Burnley)
23 year-old striker Ings has been one of the reasons why the Premier League’s biggest underdogs still remain in contention to stay up for another year. Nine goals, and the prospect of a cut price deal due to the nearing expiration of his contract, makes him an appealing option to have in the squad. However, no goals in his last eight suggest he is not the ruthless star that could lead a side to the title. Still – he’d be a decent backup.
James Milner (Manchester City)
Milner has probably been one of the league’s best utility players in the last decade. If we have more injury issues next season, he is the kind of player that can fill in practically anywhere. Like Ings, his contract is up at the end of the campaign, meaning that it would hardly damage the bank balance to bring him to the club. Perhaps we could convince him that he wouldn’t even have to move house…?
Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Despite Simon Mignolet starting to find some good form, we have been vulnerable when he has struggled, as we do not currently have an adequate back-up choice. Bringing in Cech may give Brendan Rodgers a selection problem as both options could argue they are good enough for the first-team.
But the Chelsea stopper has won practically everything in the game. Despite being back-up to Thibaut Courtois this season, he has proved when needed, that sitting on the bench does little to his match-sharpness. At 32, he still has years ahead of him, and that desire to win has clearly not diminished.
Asier Illarramendi (Real Madrid)
The 25-year-old has struggled to make the grade at Real Madrid, which perhaps is no embarrassment. However, featuring from the substitutes’ bench on a more regular basis than actually starting is bound to stifle a midfielder’s development. It is difficult to imagine where he would fit into our current system, with Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen starting to form a decent partnership.
Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven)
The winger has been so impressive this season, scoring 20 goals and guiding his side to Eredivisie title. According to the Daily Mail, we will have to beat off competition from Manchester United. Louis van Gaal may hold an advantage as he has worked with him at international level.
He is an exciting talent, but he will definitely need time to get used to the Premier League. His end product is probably his greatest weakness, so may it be a matter of being patient with him.