Rumour Mongering: Jese Rodriguez Lined Up or Not Who Knows

File this one in the the fun part of your rumo(u)r mongering filing cabinet. Jese Rodriguez being linked to Liverpool for this transfer window. You know you like it!

At least there is good reason to like it. Rodriquez is one of the rarest breeds of footballer: a Real Madrid Castilla prodigy, who plays as a mercurial forward, and who worked his way into consistent first team reckoning. Well, semi-consistent. Arriving alongside Alvaro Morata as foils for Cristiano Ronaldo et al, Jese took to the white house like an ugly sweater to the holiday season. The passing range, first step, and tricks of a wide player have long since been a part of this Spaniard's game, but he's much more than a typical wide attacker. Awareness of space, good timing, and cool finishing are traits that make Jese, along with Morata and Gerard Deulofeu, a primary reason why the Spanish national team isn't losing any sleep over its attacking prospects for the next decade.

Breaking into the Madrid first team in combination with Morata, Jese immediately showed an adeptness at coming on as a substitute and scoring key goals for the Merengues. He also did it while injecting a homerism that is often overlooked by Madrid's brass, but quickly makes a player a favorite of the Madrid faithful in the stands.

Not all smooth sailing for Jese, though, as a shredding of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee came the March before James Rodriguez lit up the 2014 World Cup enough to convince Florentino Perez to knight him into the Galactico ranks. With his white lightsaber of cash money or whatever they do over there. This meant that not only would Jese have to come back from a devastating injury, but minutes were going to be that much harder to come by once he returned to full health and form.

And now that he has demonstrated enough of both, Liverpool have allegedly entered the fold for his signature. Jordon Ibe, Lazar Markovic, Ryant Kent, and Sheyi Ojo make up a nice collection of developing talents at the wide forward/winger position group for the Reds, but Rodriguez comfortably bests them all in terms of both raw talent and demonstrated level. The wages would be high, the fee wouldn't be insignificant, but this would be a slam dunk move for the Reds if they can make it happen.