Liverpool have received a transfer boost in the form of Porto striker Jackson Martinez as his agent revealed that the Merseyside club are in line to sign him.
Martinez’s agent Peppino Tirri revealed, “Liverpool are in for Jackson. AC Milan? That’s unlikely. Porto won’t yield an inch from their €35m (£27.5m) release clause.”
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has had a massive problem upfront as Daniel Sturridge’s poor injury record and Mario Balotelli’s form coupled with his recent injury has left him with Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini as the only strikers at the moment. Lambert has impressed at times but considering the fact that Rodgers’ side are chasing a Champions League spot, he isn’t the striker that you can depend on to get you goals on a regular basis.
After the departure of Luis Suarez, the Liverpool fans had their hopes pinned on Sturridge who was the league’s second highest goal scorer last season. However, a succession of injuries has led to him appearing in just three appearances in the league so far which has hurt Rodgers’ side as they sit 9th in the league. Striker Mario Balotelli was signed from AC Milan in the summer, but has failed to score in the Premier League so far which has put a lot of pressure on Rodgers’ decision making in the market.
Porto’s Jackson Martinez is a proven goalscorer with good pace and movement; exactly the type of player that the reds need at the moment. The transfer fee is slightly on the higher side at £27.5m, but considering the money gained from Champions League and the sale of Luis Suarez, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Martinez has scored an impressive 10 goals in just 12 appearances so far and is the league’s top scorer. His side are unbeaten so far and are just three points behind league leaders Benfica thanks to the goalscoring form of their striker.