Why Liverpool should make a move for Joaquin Correa
According to Citta Celeste (h/t Mirror), Liverpool are tracking Lazio forward Joaquin Correa. He could be available for as little as £20m.
The versatile attacker has been earning rave reviews in Italy after his impressive displays for Lazio this season. With 7 goals and 3 assists from 22 Serie A matches, Correa has been key to Lazio’s rise to second place in the league table.
Having arrived from La Liga side Sevilla in the summer of 2018, Correa has quickly established himself as a Lazio regular, making 71 appearances in total. In his debut campaign, Correa proved his significance up by featuring 34 times in 38 league matches for Lazio.
His attacking skills were clearly visible as he went on to score 10 goals and give 8 assists from 47 matches across all competitions last season.
However, what makes Correa even more special is his ability to adapt to any role in the attack. Predominantly a left-winger, Correa can also be deployed as a second striker and an attacking midfielder, making him a valuable asset.
Despite being a winger early in his career, Correa has mostly been used as a second striker at the Olimpico di Roma by coach Filippo Inzaghi. However, it seems to have reaped dividends, with the Argentine scoring 13 goals and assisting eight times from 48 matches playing in that role.
Correa a safe option for Liverpool
Liverpool have had a successful outing so far and are currently on top of the league table. The excellent form of Reds’ attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firminho, and Mohamed Salah has seen them emerge as one of the best sides in Europe.
The three forwards were key to their Champions League triumph last season and have continued their good form since. They have been so dominant with their displays that the rest of the Reds attackers – Takumi Minamino, Xherdan Shaqiri and Adam Lallana have found game time increasingly limited.
Correa has a 70 million release clause in his contract but will be available for a lesser amount if the Reds scrap their 30 percent resale clause on former man Luis Alberto, who is now at Lazio.
Meanwhile, according to reports, Reds’ superstar forward Mane has in recent days been linked with La Liga giants Real Madrid. With Mane’s future at Anfield, an uncertainty, and Swiss winger Shaqiri attracting interests from a host of clubs in January, Liverpool’s pursuit of Correa makes sense. That said, it would be safe for Liverpool to invest its resources in the in-form Correa.
Read more:
- Why Liverpool must back off from signing Willian
- Why Liverpool should make a move for Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz
- Forget it Klopp – Liverpool would be better off dropping their interest in Marcelo Brozovic
Verdict
With Mane attracting interest from a top club like Real Madrid, Liverpool might find it difficult to keep hold of their star forward if at all a move happens. Hence, Correa seems like the safest bet at the moment. Moreover, his versatility can offer Klopp a lot of options in attack if they succeed in bringing him to Anfield.
