With Fabio Borini out for three months with a broken foot, Liverpool are looking to Drogba as a short term fix, with Demba Ba also a potential January target.
When Andy Carroll completed his loan move to West Ham on the morning of transfer deadline day, Liverpool fans, along with most of the footballing community, assumed that something was in place to bring another striker to Anfield. However the clocked ticked round to midnight, Clint Dempsey ended up at Spurs, and Liverpool have struggled for goals since.
With Fabio Borini now out with a broken foot for three months, the only senior striker Brendan Rodgers has been able call on in Luis Suarez, but that may be about to change, Didier Drogba’s first season in China ends next week, and there is a growing momentum to the rumours that he may choose to join Liverpool on a short term loan in the close season.
His time at Shanghai Shenhua has been marred by salary issues, with the club’s owners embroiled in a battle for control of the club, and player’s wages often used as a bartering chip as a result. If a short term move elsewhere goes well, there is a chance Drogba could leave China for good. The move would surely be a successful one for Liverpool, despite Drogba’s advancing years. The Ivorian could certainly do an excellent job for the club in the run up to January, when he will depart for the African Cup of Nations.
January also brings the transfer window, and Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Demba Ba then. The Senegalese striker will not be heading to South Africa with Drogba, and still reportedly has a £7 million release clause that Liverpool could activate. Whilst Drogba would be a short term remedy to the clubs striking problems, at 27 Ba could be a perfect partner for Luis Suarez for some seasons to come.
Drogba’s commitments in China, and his undoubtedly large wage demands, may make him an unlikely long term signing for Liverpool. But if they could bring in the Ivorian on loan until January, and then bring in Ba on a permanent move, their striking talent would increase exponentially. A suitable partner would also decrease the load on Luis Suarez’ shoulders, and perhaps make him even more effective for the club.
Rodgers’ difficult task at Anfield has been made far harder with the striker shortage at the club, either Ba or Drogba, or indeed both, could give the a season a new impetus.
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