Liverpool’s director of football is eyeing up a late move for Barcelona winger Ibrahim Afellay as the Merseyside club looks to continue their summer spending. The attacker has barely featured for the Catalan side since his move to the Nou Camp in January and the signing of Chilean Alexis Sanchez will push the former PSV Eindhoven man further down the pecking order and may convince the Dutch international to consider pastures new.
Thus far Liverpool have spent over £50m to bring Jordan Henderson, Doni, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and Jose Enrique to Anfield and having resolved the lack of natural width on the left hand side now boss Kenny Dalglish may look to do likewise for the right hand side of his attack.
For the past few seasons Dirk Kuyt has been employed as a converted right winger, a role he has succeeded in making his own, but the 31 year old is very much a square peg in a round hole. There is no doubt the former Feyenoord man gives his all and is a determined performer but Dalglish is known to like the use of traditional wingers and may feel that Afellay may be the right man to fill the spot in the long term.
Comolli has had dealings with Barcelona in the past and pulled off of a coup back in 2008 when he brought Mexican youngster Giovani dos Santos to Tottenham, a move that was considered something of a shock at the time. Now the French head scout is interested in snapping up Afellay.
The 25 year old Afellay cost Barcelona just £2.5m back in January as the Utrecht born winger, who can also play as an attacking central midfielder, was set to be out of contact at the Eredivisie side in the summer. Pep Guardiola may be ready to accept offers in excess of £5/7m as such a fee would represent a profit and would help balance the books at the La Liga giants, who have spent over £45m to bring the aforementioned Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas to the club.
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