Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have been one of the biggest entertainers in the Premier League this season scoring goals galore in the league and also in the cup competitions. However, their trips to the Dean Court and the Vitality Stadium this season exposed one of the few flaws that the team is carrying this season under the manager. These drawbacks along with injuries to key players like Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge has seen the Reds linked with a move for an attacker in January and though Christian Pulisic is high on the pecking order, one player who is now linked with a shock move to the club is former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez.
Also known as Chicharito, the Bayer Leverkusen number 7 has been one of the inform forwards in the domestic competition this season, scoring 5 goals and picking up an assist in just 9 starts in the Bundesliga backing up his 26 goals season last time around. He has currently cemented a place in the first team and is an important part of the plans of the manager in Germany.
However, Klopp, who has now also lost Daniel Sturridge and is set to lose Sadio Mane in January, has reportedly identified the 28-year old as the ideal addition to the squad in January. But is Chicarito the right man for Liverpool?
Having already played for their arch rivals Manchester United, Chicharito is not the best option for the club at least according to the fans. It has been ages since a player from Manchester has moved to Anfield and if Liverpool are to get their man, they have to get over this barrier. And even if Klopp is adamant enough to get over it, the 28-year old does not really seem the right option for the club at the moment.
The most productive system for Klopp has been the use of a false-9 which has added another man to the midfield for the side, helping them overpower the opponents in most areas of the field. The Reds have a high-intensity game plan that needs each and every player to contribute at both ends of the field. This is something that the Mexican international will not provide the manager with at Anfield.
The 28-year old is a natural goal scorer who can create and score goals even in tight games. He is not the strongest player in the air but his clever movement makes up for his lack of upper body strength. He is not the kind of a player who will create things from nothing but he has enough quality to lift his team from trouble when needed.
He is a decent target man but he loves to run the lines and open up defences in the final third, an attribute that Klopp will like in him. However, Liverpool have the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi, two players with similar qualities but diverse player styles. Sturridge provides the goal scoring threat up front while Origi, when plays, runs ragged in the final third, helping all his teammates to become more effective in the final third. Chicharito provides a bit of both style of play but it hard to see him become more of a hit at the club than the duo at Anfield already.
Liverpool needs an attacker who can provide the side with another dimension or a player who will fit into the style of play at the club with ease. Chicharito will take time to adjust to Klopp’s methods and even if he does, he hardly provides the club with a different range of attributes that can effect the game. The 28-year old might get Liverpool a few goals if he moves to Anfield, but he surely is not the man that can lift the club to the title.
Do you think this former Manchester United man is the right choice for Liverpool in January?