This has been a season of disappointment for Brendan Rodgers and his Liverpool squad. The team’s offense has struggled to match the highs of last season, which, when paired with the inept defending, has led to a 10th place standing on the Premier League table.
There have been a few reasons why the offense has not been able to create and take advantage of the opportunities that have come up. The most obvious reason for the weak attack has been the loss of both Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, with Suarez moving to Barcelona and Sturridge constantly being sidelined by various leg injuries.
Another reason has been the ineffectiveness of the players that were brought in during the summer. Mario Balotelli has looked uninterested and disconnected from the rest of the team, while Rickie Lambert has been unable to play consistently. Even though Sturridge should be able to return to the lineup in January, there is no guarantee that he will remain healthy for the rest of the season.
Now, Liverpool has been linked to West Brom forward Saido Berahino as a possible solution to their woes. The 21-year-old has been playing well this season, scoring 7 of the team’s 10 goals and sporting the third best passing percentage on the squad. He is a well-rounded forward who can score both inside and outside the penalty box.
The English international is capable of scoring with both feet and this makes him a terror to defend since he cannot be forced onto his weaker foot. His height of 5 feet, 11 inches allows him to head crosses in very well. Another plus for Berahino is that he has been playing as the lone striker in West Brom’s 4-2-3-1 formation, which should make his transition to Liverpool easier.
There is almost no downside to bringing in Berahino, the biggest one may be playing him alongside Sturridge when he returns, but thats something they should be able to figure out with enough practice. He is valued at around £20 million ($31 million), but getting him before he truly breaks out will be great for Liverpool since he will be reaching his peak around the same time as Raheem Sterling.
