After a back and forth that lasted a few weeks, Nuri Sahin is finally coming to Liverpool as the club has agreed a loan deal for the 23 year-old Turkish midfielder. At one point a move to Arsenal seemed almost certain, and most who had looked forward to his arrival on Merseyside were, for the second time this summer, resigned to losing an exciting midfield prospect to a club in London.
But things apparently fell through over wage demands, and with Liverpool reportedly willing to pay a larger portion of the player's salary, all that's left now is a medical for Nuri Sahin to be the latest player to join Brendan Rodgers' squad. That it's a temporary deal takes away a small amount of the excitement, but it's largely news to celebrate, as it provides exactly what Rodgers and Liverpool are in need of--depth and quality.
It'll be interesting to see how he slots into the midfield, particularly with three players--Lucas, Joe Allen, and Steven Gerrard--that seem like they're automatic starters. Sahin's adaptable within the midfield and has been used throughout during his young career, but he's not a player that can (or at least hasn't been) used further forward in a direct attacking capacity.
Many have been quick to shift that responsibility to Gerrard, who's been used on the right flank to some effect in the past, with the feeling that he would be as good, if not better, than the options available to Brendan Rodgers right now. Whether or not the captain is still capable of filling that sort of role would remain to be seen, as would the manager's interest in tinkering with that sort of shift. But that would accommodate all four players, and--for right now at least--all four are worth accommodating.
That there's enough quality so as to be problematic is nice, though, particularly on the heels of the performance in Liverpool's midfield against Hearts on Thursday. So we welcome Nuri Sahin, and even if his Liverpool career doesn't extend beyond May, we hope it sees success for both player and club. Let's also hope there's simililarly positive moves left for Liverpool in other areas of need prior to September 1st.