Since the start of the season and during the January transfer window there were stories linking the out of favour Manchester City winger, Shaun Wright-Phillips with a move to Liverpool. Although the Reds are enjoying a revival under Kenny Dalglish, there are bound to be transfer targets for the club come the summer – would SWP prove to be value for money?
The career of Wright-Phillips has been an interesting one to date. Since bursting onto the scene with City at the start of the decade, Wright-Phillips quickly shrugged off any comparison to his famous father figure by making a name for himself as a tricky right winger. In the last season of his first spell at City, he scored 10 goals in 34 league games, his best record to date and it earned him a big money move to Chelsea.
Although making a number of appearances, and in addition earning a few winners’ medals, he never established himself as a first team regular for the Blues and eventually returned to City. However, while the big money signings and ambitions at Chelsea may have stifled his first team ambitions, the same thing has happened now at City.
Now at 29 years of age, SWP could do with one last move to finish his career on a flourish rather than warming up the subs bench. Could Liverpool be the right club for him? Possibly, as the Reds would need more creativity in their team, especially on the wing. He would provide decent competition for Dirk Kuyt, or allow the Dutchman to move up front.
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However, if NESV are to use their ‘money ball’ approach used in baseball, then the signing of SWP would not make sense, as he is over the age of 27 and would not have a significant re-sale value. Although football is entirely different from the economics used in baseball and American sport in general, whilst the signings of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez were long term solutions – it would make sense for the Reds to make some short term solutions for an immediate impact.
It would be value for money as the transfer rumours back in January were linking the player to the Anfield club for around the £4 million mark, which wouldn’t break the bank. Plus Wright-Phillips is now an experienced winger whose dribbling and pace can cause teams problems, as well as being an excellent provider of crosses for the likes of Carroll to attack.
On the other hand, NESV and Liverpool fans may disagree with the signing of SWP if they want to challenge the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, it certainly wouldn’t match their ambitions. But perhaps Wright-Phillips needs to be given a chance to prove his worth at a top Premier League club and under the guise of Dalglish, he could be the right man to get the best out of the winger.
Alternatively, Liverpool may look elsewhere for a younger winger with more potential and a longer term investment. In that case, SWP should look elsewhere if he’s to finish off his career with an impact, although recent reports indicate that he’s determined to stay at City and break into the first team, but it just sounds like déjà-vu to me.
Take a look at the Liverpool representative in our Top TEN solo goals of all time…
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