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Alberto Moreno had an up and down first season for Liverpool, mixing flashes of great talent and promise with a fair few defensive lapses. On the whole, though, the 23-year-old remains one of the more promising young left backs in Europe, and even rumours the Reds were interested in PSG’s Lucas Digne came sporting the disclaimer he would arrive second choice to the incumbent.
However, if Mundo Deportivo are to be believed, Liverpool’s Digne interest was in fact a result of Barcelona interest in Moreno and the possible need to source a replacement. The Spanish paper believe the Catalan giants are looking to replace the departing Adriano and have Moreno high up the list. If he were to arrive, it would be as clear backup to Jordi Alba and with little hope of becoming starter in the future.
That’s the first problem with the rumour mongering being done by Mundo Deportivo. The second problem is in the mooted price. They suggest Moreno could be had for a measly £10M, which seems highly unlikely a year after Liverpool paid £12M to bring him to England from Sevilla. It’s a price that would only make sense if the Reds were actively shopping Moreno, which by all accounts they are not.
Despite the clear draw of Barcelona, it’s genuinely hard to see a 23-year-old looking to take the next step in his career and push his way into the national team picture wanting to move to sit on their bench. Alba is only 26, and though he had injury issues in 2013-14, in three of the past four years he has played nearly 50 matches a season. There’s also the matter of Barcelona’s transfer ban that would stop Moreno registering until January.
If Moreno comes good on his promise at Liverpool, has a couple of dominant seasons, and pushes his way into the Spanish national team picture, then linking him with a Barcelona move might become reasonable. This summer, when it’s a player coming off a mixed-bag of a campaign, one who will need minutes to take the next step in his development and not to sit on a bench, it’s an oddly nonsensical one.
