Liverpool’s will face competition for Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin from Serie A side Fiorentina as the Viola have failed to convince their current goalkeeper Neto to stay at the club for next season.
Neto’s contract expires in the summer and after failed negotiations, Fiorentina have finally decided that signing a new keeper will be the best option. According to il Corriere dello Sport, they have identified Perin as Neto’s potential replacement as the Italian has been in good form this season and his stock seems to have risen around Europe. Perin has been linked with Liverpool for the last few months as the Merseysiders want a quality keeper to give their current number one Simon Mignolet some competition.
The Belgian’s form was questionable in the first few months of the season and his mistakes finally led to him being dropped. Second choice keeper Brad Jones appeared for Mignolet in December in Liverpool’s defeat at the hands of Manchester United and conceded three goals in the process. Jones kept his place in the next game against Arsenal but failed to keep a cleansheet. The Australian then suffered from a hamstring injury that ruled him out for ten games and that forced Liverpool’s hand to reinstate Mignolet as the first choice keeper.
Mignolet’s form has improved since he was reintroduced into the team after his brief spell on the bench. Although there is no doubting his shot stopping qualities, Mignolet’s biggest problems are his distribution and decision making in set pieces.
Perin will be good signing for Liverpool, but a lot will depend on his interest to join them. Both Fiorentina and Liverpool are not in the Champions League places in their respective leagues. The team that manages to qualify for Europe will have the added benefit of that in trying to convince Perin to join them. Then of course is the promise of first team football. Although Liverpool are closer to a Champions League spot compared to Fiorentina (who could qualify if they win the Europa League), the Viola will have a vacant spot in the first team to fill unlike the Reds.
Perin is contracted with Genoa until 2017 and his market value is somewhere around a 15m. He made his international debut last year and is still only 22 years old. At that age, any cub that signs him, will definitely get value for money considering his performances this season.