It has been a good couple of weeks now that Liverpool have been linked with the ‘Next Neymar’- who actually happens to be a promising Brazilian striker, going by the name of Gabriel Barbosa, or Gabigol, as he is often referred to as. Gabigol leapt onto the radar of some of the Europe’s elite clubs last summer and but it was Inter who managed to convert their flirtatious glances into solid interest and backed by the new owners, secured his signing in a transfer worth around £30m.
But life in Italy hasn’t been a bed of roses for the 20-year old and he failed to get into the starting eleven with the vastly different style of play being touted as one of the reasons for his struggles. And with 5 months on the fringes of the playing eleven, there were bound to be questions raised. And a lot of the transfer talk pointed to Liverpool being a possible destination for the Brazilian with the Merseyside club boasting of a core comprising of the Seleção players and with Klopp regarded as one of the best in dealing with young talents.
But in what will certainly be a blow to the Reds, the striker has ruled out engineering a move and has reiterated his desire to battle for his place at Inter.
Let us take a look at 3 possible alternatives, Klopp can look towards to address the situation up top which will be intensified with Mane’s departure to the AFCON in a couple of weeks time.
MOUSSA DEMBELE
The Celtic star has been the best player in the Scottish Premiership and has been linked with some top clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City now. In his match against City, he demonstrated the level at which he can perform and it will be a blessing to get him into a league with such a high quality as the Premier League. And Liverpool will certainly be one of the better destinations for the former Fulham man.
SARDAR AZMOUN
The Iranian who plies his trade for FC Rostov in the Russian Premier League has been scouted quite recently by the Liverpool scouts and a bid for the promising player is said to be imminent. A 6’1″, 21-year-old forward, Azmoun has Champions League experience with Rostov, scoring against both Anderlecht and Ajax in the qualification stages and most recently against Atletico Madrid in the group stage.
As per the norm, he has been nicknamed the ‘Iranian Messi’, which although should not be taken seriously nowadays, does have some credibility in fathoming the level at which his talents are perceived in the footballing fraternity.
LUKASZ TEODORCZYK
The Polish striker has been a revelation at Anderlecht and if signed by Liverpool, will be an addition which reflects their need for a striker of high calibre and a whole of lot promise. The Reds go after players with potential which can be nurtured by the club and although Teodorczyk is 25-years old, he can develop into a world beater. Fast in the box with great awareness and excellent aerial ability, he can be a long-term prospect at Anfield.
