Premier League rivals Liverpool and Everton are set to battle it out for Salomon Rondon. The West Bromwich forward has emerged as a shock target for the Merseyside giants, both of whom are still looking for a striker in the remaining days of the January transfer window.
Liverpool, in particular, are apparently readying for life without Daniel Sturridge, who is rumoured to be leaving Anfield. With former Burnley man Danny Ings seemingly moving down the pecking order, the Reds could definitely use some reinforcements up top before the end of this month.
Salomon Rondon has endured a mixed time in the Premier League since moving from Zenit St. Petersburg in 2015. The Venezuelan International has notched up 20 goals in 94 Premier League appearances for the Baggies.
Unlike Sturridge, who relies heavily on his ability to drift around the box to create chances for himself, Salomon Rondon can be deemed as more of a target man. His physical presence in the box could be ideal for a team which doesn’t lack any productivity in their creative department, which isn’t something Liverpool are known for.
Over the years, Jurgen Klopp, at times has struggled to execute his possession-based game, often failing to create clear-cut chances to unlock the opposition defence. Rondon’s physical prowess coupled with his dominance in the air could make him a perfect addition to Liverpool, should they ever need to execute a plan B.
However, that being said, Rondon is clearly not known for his lethal goal-scoring abilities. His rather measly tally of 20 goals in 94 games shows his lack of ability to finish off chances. This season, the West Brom forward has netted only three goals in 20 games.
Furthermore, the former Zenit frontman is also clumsy at times, in front of goal and doesn’t have any ball-playing qualities, meaning he is not suited to Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing philosophy, despite boasting significant physical prowess.
For a team like Liverpool, who have been finally showing signs of improvement, especially in the offensive department, head coach Jurgen Klopp definitely needs to opt for better alternatives if he is to really challenge the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City as well as imposing themselves on European competitions.
Therefore, the Reds should instead turn their focus to other candidates available in the transfer market. RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner, for one, could prove to be an ideal buy for the Merseyside giants.