Liverpool’s pursuit of Geoffrey Kondogbia got a much-needed boost in recent weeks as the holding midfielder revealed his displeasure with his parent club, Inter Milan.
He was quoted, “My biggest mistake was to arrive (at Inter) too relaxed, without noticing the noise in Italy about my signing. I was not ready for it and I did not like this kind of pressure. Inter and Milan had never fought like that for a foreigner, both clubs came to Monte Carlo to sign me. They thought that with me, they would win the Scudetto.”
Kondogbia is currently spending a season-long loan spell with La Liga side, Valencia. The 4th placed Spanish outfit have paid an initial fee of £9m to acquire the 25-year-old and are unsure about activating his £22m release clause in the summer.
This obviously is some uplifting bit of news for Jurgen Klopp, not to mention the clear displeasure Kondogbia holds against Inter Milan. The Frenchman went on the air and said, “If I had the money I’d do it. I’d use my money to pay my buy-out clause. Inter was a total chaos. I met four or five different managers in two years and players used to change every year. That’s why it is hard for a footballer, especially a young one, to establish himself at Inter.”
“A top club needs stability even if things are not good at the beginning; continuity and stability are absolutely needed. It’s hard to play well when players and managers change every time.”
From a spectator’s perspective, Kondogbia’s frustration is understandable to a certain limit but one starts to question the player’s ability to be a top professional as well. He has appeared in 25 games this season under Marcelino García Toral to spearhead Valencia back into the Champions League qualification spots.
The Oranges have seen a season of meteoric improvement from their last with the help of a solid managerial head and a sense of intangible drive which has reverberated around the entire squad.
Their fast-paced dynamic style of play was good enough to hold the league leaders, Barcelona to a 1-1 draw back in November. The club has seen a few players make an exit but also made a key addition in Francis Coquelin from Arsenal.
The former Gunner is capable of playing alongside Daniel Parejo in the central midfield role and replicate the defensive abilities of Kondogbia. Coquelin’s arrival has placed a threat on the Frenchman’s starting role and Valencia will have to think long and hard if they can shell out such a high price for a player whose replacement is already made available to them.
