Football statistics website WhoScored have produced a list comparing Raheem Sterling with six of his potential replacements. The youngster is widely expected to move on this summer – after rejecting a new deal at Anfield – and if he does, then supporters will be demanding a high quality replacement before the start of the new season.
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According to The Guardian, Sterling’s agent – Aidy Ward – believes that the relationship between player and club is beyond repair and it is that factor which will seal his client’s Liverpool exit. Manchester City are reportedly the favourites to sign the England international, although they’re unwilling to pay a £50m fee (via the Mail).
In the list below, we’ve accumulated the statistics on each player as listed by WhoScored and given our own opinion on each star in question. We start with the man himself, Raheem Sterling…
Raheem Sterling
Apps: 34 (1) Goals: 7 Assists: 7 Shots per game: 2.4 Key passes per game: 2.1 Dribbles per game: 2.9 Acc. Crosses per game: 0.5 Passes per game: 32.4 Who Scored rating: 7.27
It’s been a difficult year for the youngster. He started the season strongly and looked to be striking up a promising partnership with Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho – we thought, for a short time, that life after Luis Suarez might be fairly simple. Unfortunately, his form has been slowly evaporating since the turn of the year and the constant media speculation that has been surrounding him has not been helping.
Candidate One – Felipe Anderson
Apps: 23 (9) Goals: 10 Assists: 7 Shots per game: 2 Key passes per game: 1.1 Dribbles per game: 3.3 Acc. Crosses per game: 0.5 Passes per game: 29.2 WS rating: 7.47
Anderson won his first Brazil cap this year after an excellent season with Lazio, who he helped finish third in Serie A. The 22-year-old joined the club from Santos in 2013 and has since scored ten times in 45 appearances. He still has three years remaining on a five-year deal so would likely go for a high price. He’s versatile – capable of playing across the front line and up front – and is particularly confident in possession.
Candidate Two – Roberto Firmino
Another newcomer to the Brazilian squad, with six appearances and three goals to his name, the Hoffenheim attacking midfielder has netted ten times this season. However, it was the 2013-14 campaign where he particularly made his name, striking on 22 occasions. He’s still only 23 so has plenty of room to continue developing and might be convinced to move if European football is on offer.
Apps: 23 (9) Goals: 7 Assists: 10 Shots per game: 2.9 Key passes per game: 2.1 Dribbles per game: 4.2 Acc. Crosses per game: 0.2 Passes per game: 39.8 WS rating: 7.79
Candidate Three – Karim Bellarabi
Apps: 32 (1) Goals: 12 Assists: 6 Shots per game: 3.2 Key passes per game: 1.4 Dribbles per game: 4.7 Acc. Crosses per game: 0.2 Passes per game: 27.4 WS rating: 7.64
This German international winger impressed last season after returning to parent club Bayer Leverkusen. He’d spent the previous twelve months with minnows Eintracht Braunschweig but has come on a lot since then. For Leverkusen, he scored the fastest goal in Bundesliga history – at nine seconds – and netted a further 11 times. He also carded six assists and led his team to a Champions League place.
Candidate Four – Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco
Apps: 33 (3) Goals: 6 Assists: 10 Shots per game: 2.1 Key passes per game: 1.6 Dribbles per game: 2.4 Acc. Crosses per game: 1.2 Passes per game: 30.5 WS rating: 7.25
As close to a like-for-like replacement as we could possible get, considering age and potential. This 21-year-old Belgian is already a regular for AS Monaco, playing 81 times and scoring 15 goals since his debut in 2012. His record includes a goal against Arsenal in their Champions League victory earlier this year, one of eight he netted in all competitions during the 2014-15 campaign.
Candidate Five – Nolito
Apps: 32 (4) Goals: 13 Assists: 13 Shots per game: 2.9 Key passes per game: 2.7 Dribbles per game: 2.1 Acc. Crosses per game: 1 Passes per game: 34 WS rating: 7.47
This 28-year-old Spaniard currently plays for Celta Vigo – and however impressive the rest of his CV is that fact will be enough to put off a lot of Liverpool fans, who still have nightmares about Iago Aspas. The former Benfica and Barcelona man, who won his one and only cap for Spain last year, has scored 27 times in just 71 league games for Celta, a record which suggests that we arguably got the wrong man two years ago.
Candidate Six – Diego Perotti
Apps: 27 Goals: 4 Assists: 5 Shots per game: 1.5 Key passes per game: 2 Dribbles per game: 3.6 Acc. Crosses per game: 1.9 Passes per game: 38.6 WS rating: 7.48
The former Sevilla man joined Genoa last summer and has had a decent first year in Italy. The Argentine predominately plays on the left-hand side, a position where we have regularly found ourselves short, but with his goal and assist numbers short of those Sterling has produced, his addition would be unlikely to inspire much in the way of confidence. He’s also struggled with injuries, playing just 58 times between 2011 and 2014.
