Liverpool have been linked with a move for Sofiane Feghouli, but don’t count on them being successful.
Liverpool have entered the hunt to sign Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli – Report the Mirror.
Will it happen? That will be down to Brendan Rodgers’ power of persuasion, but we are betting Liverpool won’t be able to convince him to make the switch in January.
If he did sign, he will be the second North African winger to sign in six months, Feghouli hails from Algeria, and would join Oussama Assaidi – The £2 million Moroccan who became a Red in the summer.
Signing a winger will certainly be a priority – Rodgers has admitted Sterling needs a rest, while Stewart Downing has reportedly been told he can leave.
Assaidi was easily convinced to make the summer switch from Dutch club Heerenveen, but when it comes to Feghouli, Liverpool are likely to encounter far more resistance.
Valencia are still in the Champions League, and Feghouli has played a key part in them progressing to the knockout rounds, finishing runners-up to Bayern Munich in their group.
The winger scored three goals and provided one assist in the Champions League group stages, including an equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Bayern in their final match.
For Liverpool to convince him to leave now is unlikely. In the summer they may stand a better chance, although of course the risk from their perspective is Feghouli’s reputation grows with stellar performances in the knockout stages. They may not have a choice but to wait.
For the winger, joining Liverpool would mean walking out on the most promising Champions League season of his career.
In La Liga, things are not so good, Valencia lie 11th, but a look across to the Premier League table and seeing Liverpool in 12th is hardly assured to persuade him to jump ship.
While he is a very good player, at only 22 one who will surely get even better, Liverpool can enquire, but the circumstances of his team’s advancement to the latter stages of Europe’s top competition and the fact he has played a key part in their run so far make this deal a longer shot than it may seem on the surface.
Could Liverpool persuade Feghouli to join despite him CL involvement? Or should they move onto another target?
image: © Vincent Teeuwen
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