It's hard to imagine Liverpool getting through the rest of the transfer window without doing something, but with Mohamed Salah almost certainly off to Chelsea and eternal lust-object Juan Mata now becoming and eternal hate-figure, it's been an awfully discouraging few days. Others are ramping up while Liverpool still seem to be stuck in neutral, and it's becoming harder and harder to stick with the belief that the club are just doing a really good job of keeping their business behind closed doors.
But. BUT. We all have the one transfer that would make the window a success, the one that rights most of the wrongs to this point, the one that is both realistic and seemingly attainable. One that appears to be so obvious that it's almost harder to imagine the club not pursuing a deal based on the evidence that's available.
For me--and many others, judging by discussion the last few days--that player is Porto's Fernando, who's been linked with Liverpool on and off for the last few years (including the last time Lucas went down with a knee injury). There's always been a case for bringing him into the fold given his skill-set, but that case is as strong as it's going to get right now. Lucas is out for a significant period of time yet again with little guarantee that he'll be back up to full speed by season's end, and Fernando is a player that walks into Liverpool's eleven, filling an immediate need with proven talent.
The cost wouldn't be outrageous, with Porto reportedly willing to sell the player for a fee around £15m and Fernando interested in heading elsewhere (though that might involve big money and Champions League football guaranteed). Milan were rumored for a time, but with Michael Essien moving on a permanent basis and Nigel de Jong staying put, the window for that move seems to have gone at least for the time being. From the outside looking in, everything looks perfectly set up for Liverpool to swoop, which is what makes the transfer window so maddening--we can't possibly know all the ins and outs that the clubs are considering, nor are we privy to players' and agents' intentions as they negotiate potential moves.
But this is one that I'd be more than content with, and even if this was the only deal that got done, it would represent both ambition and immediate improvement.
Who's yours?
Video by MrBoywunder