Liverpool are reportedly on the verge of signing Rickie Lambert from Southampton, but should Tottenham Hotspur have made a swift move?
Rickie Lambert is poised to complete a £4million move to Liverpool in the coming days, but should Tottenham Hotspur have acted faster to sign the England international?
Some will say Lambert only had eyes for one club. After all, the now-32-year-old was a member of Liverpool’s academy before being released as a teenager.
That sense of unfinished business could mean Lambert had no intention of swapping Southampton for any club other than the Reds. But following the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino – and with Tottenham’s need for a new striker (preferably with Premier League experience) – one senses Spurs missed a trick not offering a bargain price for a seasoned goal-getter.
Last season Lambert netted 13 top-flight goals and set up another 11. In comparison, Roberto Soldado scored just six Premier League goals and provided just five assists.
The Spaniard was finding his feet in England and could still prove to be a canny piece of business, but Lambert is seemingly heading to a club where he will have to bide his time for chances, something he may not have needed to do at White Hart Lane.
Perhaps Pochettino has bigger plans, or as I said earlier, perhaps Lambert only wanted a move to Anfield, but if Brendan Rodgers completes a deal for just £4million it could go down as a master-stroke.
One thing is certain, Daniel Levy will have to go some to find another striker with the same talent and experience as Lambert for even close to his reported price-tag.
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