Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has been targeted by his former club Zenit St. Petersburg and according to reports from ESPN, the Russian club will make a £16 million bid in January to secure his services.
The question is – Should Liverpool entertain such ideas of selling him?
Skrtel failed to make a strong impression last season, especially in the second half, as Brendan Rodgers dropped him to the bench in favour of veteran Jamie Carragher. It became day-light clear that Skrtel’s future is away from the Merseyside.
Even in the summer, Skrtel’s future was uncertain. The Reds were linked with few top defenders and it seemed like the Slovakian will have to pave the way for any new arrivals. However he stayed, despite the fact, Liverpool signed three centre-backs in the summer.
This season, he has been a colossal figure at the heart of Reds defence. He produced a MOTM performance against Manchester United and has been a key cog in the Rodgers’ 3-4-1-2 well drilled system. He operates at the heart of the defence with Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho/Daniel Agger operating on either side. His presence could be vital in the team as the Reds are looking to get into top four.
His performance this season has been nothing short of terrific. And solely on the merit of the performance, he should stay at the club. Moreover, Rodgers would be looking to field his best 11 week-in week out to let his players get used to his system. It will be hard for any new players to step up straight into the system in his absence.
On the flip side, there are issues of finance. He is 28 and very few clubs in the world would pay such handsome fee for Skrtel. Liverpool can use the money to land their primary transfer target of summer – Kyriakos Papadopoulos – in the January as well. The Reds can do a long term planning here and build for the future.
So, should Liverpool keep or sell Skrtel in the January transfer window?
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
