Mocked by many of Liverpool’s rivals, the price tag for Adam Lallana is reported to be just short of £24 million. According to the Daily Mail, Brendan Rodgers has been quick to defend his purchase, claiming that the player is good investment for the club.
Lallana joined Southampton on their whirlwind journey of being relegated to the depths of League One before making it all the way back to the lofty heights of the Premier League. The main argument of critics of his recent transfer from the Saints, though, is that he has only really had one outstanding season in the top flight. That came last campaign, as the midfielder helped his side finish eighth by consistently producing match-winning performances and chipping in with nine goals. He was also more reliable than ever, featuring in all 38 of Southampton’s league games.
Very much one of the stars at St Mary’s, Anfield will provide a different stage for Lallana to perform on. Bigger expectations mean that he no time to take his foot off the gas and relax, as he is now at a club whose fans demand nothing but victory from every game they play and every competition they enter. At 26 years of age, any patience that may be shown to new young players may quickly fade if the former Saint fails to impress early.
Lallana’s rise to fame has been fairly dramatic, as just a year ago he had not even made his debut for England and the idea of him going on to play for a club like Liverpool seemed improbable. It is now up to the player to justify his new manager’s faith in him by helping to continue the Reds’ challenge at the top.