Liverpool are closing in on a deal to sign PSG attacker Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Liverpool are long-term admirers of the Argentine international, having lost out to PSG to sign him from Napoli in 2012. But Lavezzi could finally arrive at Anfield for a measly A?8m with PSG looking to offload the 29-year-old in January. The Ligue 1 giants are aiming to improve their Financial Fair Play situation by reducing their wage bill, with Lavezzi on a sizeable salary of A?3.5m per season. And the deal is looking increasingly likely as PSG boss Laurent Blanc lines up Benfica winger Nicolas Gaitan as his successor. The French tactician will, however, have to battle with Premier League heavyweights Manchester United for the 26-year-old’s signature. Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal is hoping to bring the Argentine to Old Trafford to play alongside his compatriot Angel Di Maria in a A?30m move.
Inter Milan are no longer interested in their former target. While the Nerazzurri were linked with El Pocho for several years, it seems the link has finally fallen away. Since the arrival of Lukas Podolski and Xherdan Shaqiri, Inter no longer need Lavezzi. There were definite contacts with Paris Saint-Germain regarding the player but those all go back to before the transfers of the former Arsenal and Bayern Munich wingers. At nearly 30 years-old and still expensive in wage and transfer fee, even a move down the line to Inter looks very unlikely at this point. Given Intera s new project and players, it seems Lavezzi to Inter can once and for all be declared a thing of the past. In the mean time, Liverpool look ready to launch a bid for the player having missed out on Xherdan Shaqiri.
Brendan Rodgers could well do with strengthening his attack and the need for a player who can fill a wide role is perhaps pertinent given that the Liverpool boss has moved to convert Raheem Sterling from a winger into a striker. Lavezzi has been only a partial success since moving to the French capital but hasna t been nearly as effective as his Napoli days where he was a terror alongside Marek Hamsik and Edinson Cavani. The experienced attacker can be used in either a central striking role or on the flanks and is apparently available for a bargain fee of just A?8m, a sum that Liverpool would do well to fork out as soon as possible.