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Liverpool: England winger linked; Rangers after 23-year-old forward; Jordon Ibe latest
At the s💞a🌳me time as many of Liverpool’s current contingent are gracing the pitches in France during Euro 2016, the recruitment drive continues at Anfield. In the past, that he has been hampered by a lack of genuine wingers in the squad, with only Jordon Ibe really fitting into this category – more on him later.
A possible return to Merseyside for Lazar Markovic and a slight readjustment to Sheyi Ojo’s playing style could help the situation, but none are able to boast th🎀e experience and assured quality of the likes of Andros Townsend.
Currently at Newcastle U💧nited and formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, the winger had made it into Roy Hodgson’s provisional 26-man squad this summer, only to be one of the three men to miss out when it had to be cut to the tournament’s final 23.
Despite a distinct lack of width in the England squad – a startling similarity to The Reds – Hodgson d🐭ecided to not opt for the in-form Townsend. He had done a great deal to aid The Magpies’ eventually unsuccessful survival effort, but like Danny Drinkwater, has appeared to suffer from playing for a club outside of the classic ‘giants’ of English football.
Having already attracted interest from elsewhere, in bringing him to Melwood, looking to capitalise on a £10.ꦑ5 million buy-out clause in his current Newcastle contract. For this kind of money, a move certainly makes sense, and would give The Reds something which they are currently not blessed with.
As an option off the bench or starting on the wing with Jurgen Klopp playing a slightly different system than throughout 2015/16, Townsend 𝔉could prove to be a terrific asset with his direct dribbling and ability to stretch the game.
Danny Ings had to endure a highly unf🧜ortunate start to his career in a red shirt, suffering a long-term knee injury in October tha🦄t effectively spelled the end to his personal campaign in 2015/16, only able to make a brief appearance off the bench against West Brom as the season drew to a close.
Nevertheless, there was a refreshing degree of positivity throughout the season from the man himself and Jurgen Klopp, with everything suggesting that he would be fit and firing come the start of the new term, ready to fight for his place in the side. Ings’ work-rate and undeniable quality in front of goal makes him close to the perfect player in Klopp’s gegenpressing system, so when rumours of a move to Rangers and Swansea emerged,🐟 Liverpool fans were surprised to say the least.
Since then, both possible destinations have been dismissed according to reports in and . With Danny Ings well capable of pushing Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi all the way in a fight for a first-team spot, it would be bizarre to see the former Burnley man leave Aꦬnfield, and these most recent reports are certainly encouraging for the club’s supporters.
Finally, we turn to Jordon Ibe. The former🃏 Wycombe youngster did not manage to impose himself on Klopp’s upper-most thoughts as much as he would have wanted to during 2015/16, and so it would not be too much of a surprise if Ibe spent the next season away from Anfield, whether that be on loan or indeed permanently.
Having previously been li🎉nked as a make-weight to form part of a deal that would bring Sadio Mane to Liverpool, rumours of the wide-man joining West Ham United were strengthened when images emerged of him in a Hammers-branded top.
It was immꦇediately claimed that this was a West Ham training top, that Ibe was already completing the final steps on his way to working under Slaven Bilic. However, these have since been found to be misguided, and the true reason has been by the taker of the picture himself.
Amongst other young footballers such as Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi and Chuba Akpom, Ibe was merely enjoying a kick-around and had borrowed the West Ham shirt from another friend – with it in fact being the club’s third-choice kit from last year rather than a trainin🍨g top.
This seems to have dispelled the rapidly escalating murmurings for the immediate future, but with West Ham and others still apparently circling around the win𓃲ger, it is probably not the last that we will have heard about Jordon Ibe’s potential Anfield departure this summer.
He is an attractive proposition for many Premier League clubs sitting below the top four, having ♌already displayed tremendous pace and an eye for the spectacular. Combine this with hi💮s undoubted potential, and it is easy to see why he has a great deal of potential suitors, and why Jurgen Klopp may in fact opt to keep hold of him.
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