Saturday, December 29, 2012

Liverpool Eyeing Permanent Deal For Sahin

Liverpool is weighing up a move to make Nuri Sahin's stay at the club a permanent switch.

The midfielder joined the Anfield club on a season-long loan from Real Madrid in a bid to gain regular first-team experience but has been restricted to just seven Premier League appearances.

Sahin recently returned to the Reds squad after undergoing surgery for a broken nose sustained during the decisive Europa League group game with Udinese earlier this month but has failed to feature in a domestic outing since an hour-long run-out in November's 1-1 draw at Chelsea.

But the 24-year-old could be set to stay and fight for his place at Liverpool with Madrid appearing unconvinced by his lack of opportunities since moving to England just three months ago, combined with an unspectacular debut season in the Spanish capital, where he made just 10 outings.

Under-fire Real boss Jose Mourinho had originally planned to use Sahin as a foil for former Borussia Dortmund team mate Mario Gotze, who was also part of their Bundesliga-winning side in 2011, should the reigning La Liga champions secure his signature but is understood to have since reconsidered.

It is a view shared by Bernabeu chiefs, who are prepared to cut their losses on the Turkey international barely 20 months since he arrived for a fee in the region of £8 million. Despite approaching his mid-twenties, Sahin's permanent capture would be a move for longevity and echo that of winger Oussama Assaidi, also 24, who joined last summer from Heerenveen for £3 million.

However Madrid's determination to hold firm on their £14 million buyout clause for Sahin, whose current contract runs until 2017, in a bid to ensure a modest profit remains a key stumbling block.

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