Emile Heskey is not surprised to see Liverpool linked with Nacho Fernandez but, speaking to HITC, the former Anfield hero wonders if the Real Madrid defender may be too old for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
17 players have moved to Merseyside since the summer of 2018. Only three of those – back-up goalkeepers Adrian and Andy Lonergan, plus treble-winning superstar Thiago Alcantara – were over the age of 26 when they put pen to paper.
Clearly, Liverpool prefer to make top-level players rather than buy them.
So it was a surprise to learn that, according to AS, the Premier League champions showed an interest in 31-year-old Nacho Fernandez after losing both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez to season-ending injuries.
Versatile, reliable and unrelentingly-loyal, Nacho has lifted 15 trophies in that iconic white shirt of Real Madrid.
And the Spain international showed Liverpool what they were missing on Tuesday night, producing a classy and commanding performance in the absence of captain Sergio Ramos as Los Blancos swept the Reds aside in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg.
Though, with Nacho now the wrong side of 30, Heskey believes Liverpool would be better served going for a younger option ahead of the summer transfer window.
“A seasoned pro who reads the game very well. I could see why he’s being connected with Liverpool,” Heskey explains.
“But, when it comes to Liverpool, they probably need to look to the future too – someone who is a bit younger, who you know is going to give you five to ten years of proper service.
“Someone like that would be better.”
Heskey does, of course, understand the value of a player who, whether at centre-half, right-back or left-back, turns up whenever he is called upon by Zinedine Zidane.
“When players pigeonhole themselves in one position, sometimes you’re limiting your ability to do well in that team,” the former England international adds.
“A manager, at times, thinks ‘who can I use to fill that gap?’. And if you’re competent enough and reliable enough, the manager will keep you around because you can play in several different positions and put in 9/10 performances.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
