AS Roma star could move to Anfield in January.
Liverpool are reportedly plotting a move to sign AS Roma winger Erik Lamela in January.
The Giallorossi star began his career as a central midfielder, but his move to the wide right position of a attacking trio this season alongside Francesco Totti and Pablo Osvaldo has worked wonders.
Lamela has scored eight goals in his eleven Serie A starts this season, and was quick to praise new manager Zdenek Zeman for his improved form.
“Zeman will be ideal for me, he plays a 4-3-3 style that fits me perfectly,” said Lamela upon Zeman’s appointment – with impressive premonition.
“We are certainly contenders for the Scudetto,” he continued, with decidedly less psychic ability.
After only seventeen games, Roma are twelve points behind Juventus in the race for the Serie A title already, and though Liverpool’s season isn’t going a great deal better, the Premier League is arguably a more enticing sell than Serie A at present.
“The thing that has impressed me the most has been [Lamela's] tracking back and general attitude towards defending,” said former England assistant manager Franco Baldini, now director general at Roma.
The fact that Lamela is such a hard worker off the ball ought to be of great interest to Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, as the pressing game he is looking to implement relies on such running.
A prolific goalscorer to shoulder some of Luis Suarez’s burden would be a great help too, and Lamela’s strike rate is mightily impressive – as are his dribbling skills, creativity and set pieces.
“I struggled at the start in Italy. Tactics were never my strong point, but I have improved there. Above all though I have improved physically,” said Lamela.
That last point bodes particularly well for adaptation to the notoriously physical Premier League, and Lamela would be a mightily exciting signing for Liverpool.
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