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For those who were concerned that it might be folly for Liverpool to consider selling any of their strikers in the transfer window, let alone one that for better or worse Brendan Rodgers has given a lot of playing time to in Daniel Sturridge's absence, fear not: Rickie Lambert is not going anywhere.
"I did have a conversation with Brendan [Rodgers], but I don't think that Rickie is going anywhere," said Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew. "I think that Rickie wants to stay there and try and win his position. I have no doubt that he can do that."
It's unclear what "winning his position" looks like for a player who was bought with the intention of being a third choice striker at best. With Liverpool's struggle to score goals regularly and the increasingly frequent rumours that Mario Balotelli is on his way out himself this transfer window, though, news that Lambert isn't going anywhere will reassure those who are worried about Liverpool's striker pool purely from a numbers perspective.
Beyond basic numbers, though, it's unlikely to sit well for many that retaining a hopeful Lambert is the key to avoiding striker disaster this transfer window. Despite his fairy tale transfer to Liverpool last summer, Lambert has struggled regularly to find the back of the net. A move elsewhere after only six months at his dream club would be embarrassing to say the least, but Lambert will need to improve his own form if he wants to prove he made the right choice.
