Tiago Ilori signed for Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool two after the transfer window was closed. The transfer went through because the papers were submitted before the window closed, hence giving the clubs two extra hours to complete the transfer. According to reports the loan deal is for 1 million and with an option to buy. Aston Villa could buy him for either 6 million or 9 million based the number of minutes he has played for the club.
There has been difference of opinion on this transfer among the Liverpool fans. Ilori has not made a single competitive appearance for Liverpool. Some fans consider this transfer as a part of Liverpool’s bad transfer strategy. While some others consider it as good business by Liverpool. Let us look at the two sides of the debate.
Ilori’s Transfer Is A Part Of Liverpool’s Bad Transfer Strategy:
Ilori, now 22, is 6 foot 3 inches tall and is considered as one of the fastest defenders in the world. He joined Liverpool from Sporting for a fee of about 6-7 million on the transfer deadline day of 2013/14 season. He created lot of excitement among the fans, especially because he is one of the fastest defenders in the world. The fans wanted him to be loaned out to a Premier League club, but that did not happen. In fact even a loan deal did not take place. He made a few appearances for the Liverpool U-21 side. He made the Liverpool bench a few times but failed to get an appearance for the club. He was loaned to Granada during the winter transfer window of that season and after he returned from there he was again loaned to Bordeaux. At both the clubs he could not settle as a permanent starter, but he impressed when he got the chance. Ilori did not get a proper chance to impress the staff at Liverpool during the pre-seasons, like Joe Gomez did during this pre-season. Now the fans as well as the Liverpool staff are almost sure that Ilori is not going to return to Liverpool and many of the fans are sure that he will impress against the reds next season. It is a fact that Liverpool did not give the Portuguese a proper chance, even after their defense was so poor during the last two seasons. When you buy a promising talent you are expected to utilize him in one way or other. The fans really expected that Ilori would get his chance after he impressed for the Portugal U-21 side during this pre-season, but still he didn’t get it.
Ilori’s Transfer Is A Good Business By Liverpool:
Ilori was bought by Liverpool from Sporting for about 6-7 million. And if Aston Villa decides to buy him next season they will have to pay either 6 million or 9 million. They also had paid 1 million as loan fee this season, so if they buy him next season it would be for a total of either 7 million or 10 million. If the transfer goes through Liverpool are going to get some bit of profit from it. And if Aston Villa has pay to pay 10 million for him, Liverpool are going to get 3 million profit on Ilori. And that looks like an amazing business to me. At Liverpool Ilori will not get his chance anytime soon. Skrtel and Lovren are Rodgers’ preferred centre backs and Sakho is already on the bench. Liverpool’s latest addition, Joe Gomez has impressed as Left Back, Centre Back and Right Back. Kolo Toure has also not left the club. So that means Ilori will be the fourth or fifth choice centre back for Liverpool this season. On the other hand, Aston Villa are out of consistent centre backs and if Ilori can impress Tim Sherwood and hold down a place in the starting 11, it will be a great deal for him.
Ilori’s transfer to Aston Villa can only be called a great business by Liverpool, if they can get 10 million for him. They may get a profit but he might have been a good asset for Liverpool if he had stayed. Ilori to Aston Villa first looked like an amazing deal for all the parties, until the Liverpool fans got to know that a permanent transfer was there in the deal.
If Liverpool gets 10 million it is a great business, and if they get only what they paid for him then they should have thought again. All depends on how well Ilori performs for Aston Villa this season.
Comments are closed.