Liverpool has switched their attentions away from Michel Vorm – and are poised to take Fiorentina keeper Neto to Anfield, according to reports.
Brendan Rodgers is looking for another goalkeeping option for next season as he prepares his squad for Champions League. Brad Jones is not good enough to regularly challenge Simon Mignolet for the first-team squad, though he has looked good in cup competitions last season.
Pepe Reina spent last season on loan at Napoli, working alongside Ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. His loan deal was expected to turn into a permanent one as both Reina and Benitez had hinted at the prospect during the course of last season.
However, Napoli and Liverpool are now unable to reach a conclusion because of differences in fee demand, and possibly Reina’s heavy weekly wages. Right now, the goalkeeper is on his way with the club to the USA for their pre-season tour. Reina said that he is ‘raring to go’ and he loves the city.
‘I still have two years on my contract with Liverpool, I was there for eight years, I love the city and the people there have treated me very well,’ said Reina.
‘Last year I ended up at Napoli, it went very well for me there and I grew as a player but now I’m going back to Liverpool and raring to go.’
Despite his encouraging comments, the Spaniard’s future is uncertain with the club as it could be difficult to persuade him to be a second choice to Mignolet.
Liverpool was looking at Swansea’s Michael Vorm as the goalkeeper they wanted to bring in to the club. But the Dutchman is now close to a move to Tottenham. It looks like Brendan Rodgers has shifted his attention to Norberto Neto, who plays for Fiorentina in Serie A.
The 25-year-old made 35 league appearances and help Fiorentina finish fourth in the 2013-14 campaign. He did not have a good start to the season and was criticized for his performances. However, he really stepped up his game after that and received plaudits for his composed shot-stopping.
Former Fiorentina goalkeeper Sébastien Frey said about the player, “I trained for a few months with Neto and he has a natural explosiveness, while I think the Italian school helped him grow even more. He can become one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A.”
Although the player is keen on a stay in Florence, it doesn’t look like the club has the player in their long-term plans. The club signed Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu from Steaua Bucharest, which further puts his spot in jeopardy.
They are yet to offer him a new contract, despite the player telling the club he is willing to. Neto has just one year left on his contract and might be an easy target for the Reds.
The Brazilian would come as a second-choice goalkeeper to Liverpool, if Reina departs the club. His arrival would mean that the Reds have a quality goalkeeper for their European competitions. Moreover, Simon Mignolet needs competition so that he doesn’t become complacent, something he was guilty of last season. Neto would not command a huge fee and could prove to be a good addition to Liverpool.
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