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Forever linked with the club and yet never actually finding himself shirtless on Merseyside with Dr Zaf Iqbal, Cristian Tello and his ongoing non-transfer to Liverpool have occupied far too much space in the average fan's head each transfer window. All signs point to yes until, of course, they don't, and every transfer window ends with Tello sticking it out at Barcelona rather than plying his trade elsewhere.
Naturally, this summer's Tello rumours are already beginning to heat up, with sources — by which we mean "sources" — reporting that the forward could be had for as little as £8m this time around. Tello hasn't found himself as one of the first names on Barcelona's team sheet, and has been more likely to find himself on the bench as a semi-regular late substitute than as a starter.
Given Liverpool's proclivity for snatching up young players not being given enough minutes, it's unsurprising that a link to the 22 year-old would resurface yet again. Other attack-minded players like Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho have flourished under Brendan Rodgers after failing to break into the starting line-up at their previous clubs, and Tello fits this same profile.
When last we checked in with dear Cristian, it was January and Barcelona considered him a depth option too important to let go of at the time. Prior to that, it was last September that it was confirmed Tello had been completely uninterested in Liverpool's offer of more playing time, choosing instead to sign a new contract with his existing club that wasn't giving him very many minutes. The year before, there was a possibility of the player coming to Merseyside on loan, but that didn't pan out either.
None of this to say that this won't be the year it finally happens. The window hasn't even opened and if Brendan Rodgers sees Tello as a legitimate transfer target — for real this time — he and his transfer committee still have a lot of time in which to get the job done. Regardless of Rodgers' intentions, this is deeply unlikely to be the last we hear of this connection.
