Liverpool will step up their efforts to land Jose Enrique after missing out on Gael Clichy to Manchester City.
The Newcastle full-back is a long-term target of the Anfield club, and Reds boss Kenny Dalglish made a bid at the start of the summer.
But when the Magpies slapped a massive £15million pricetag on the Spanish defender, even though he has only a year left on his contract, Liverpool switched their sights to Clichy.
Dalglish thought he could get the Arsenal star for less than half the Enrique price, but Manchester City snapping up the Frenchman leaves the Reds still looking for a left-back.
They will now return to St James’ Park with an improved £8m bid for Enrique, as Dalglish looks to strengthen the left side of his defence.
Liverpool were forced to play England right-back Glen Johnson out of position for much of last season, after new signing Paul Konchesky flopped.
And with Fabio Aurelio again showing his frailty with yet more injuries, left-back is a top priority for the Merseyside club.
Enrique is their number one target, and his contract situation means Newcastle will surely be forced to sell this summer, rather than risk losing out on a fee.
The Spaniard returned to training yesterday, and has set up talks with manager Alan Pardew for later in the week, but his refusal to sign a new deal that's been on the table for six months would seem to hint at his intentions.
Ironically, Liverpool now may face competition from Arsenal, who need a left-back to replace Clichy, although youngster Kieron Giggs will be given a chance to stake a claim for the position, which could be enough to tip the balance towards Anfield.
Dalglish is chasing Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing as well, and the England international is also due for talks this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment