Sit down protest: Eljero Elia could be on his way to
Liverpool after falling out of favour at Hamburg
Liverpool's American owners are set to back
under-fire boss Roy Hodgson in the transfer market, starting with
the signing of Dutch winger Eljero Elia from Bundesliga side
Hamburg.
The 23-year-old wide man has fallen out of favour with his
current employers after failing to hit the heights of his debut
campaign in Germany following a 2009 move from Steve McClaren's FC
Twente.
His slump in form has led to reports he would make the switch to
Wolfsburg, currently managed by McClaren, in a bid rekindle the
form that earned him rave reviews in Holland.
However Hamburg daily newspaper Morgenpost has suggested today
that Liverpool have made a bid in the region of £13million for a
player who has previously been compared with current Anfield man
Ryan Babel.
With Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard both suffering with
injuries over the course of the current campaign, Hodgson's team
have struggled for a spark and often appeared one paced.
Elia would certainly rectify that and it is understood that
Liverpool are keen to tie up a deal quickly in a bid to maintain
momentum from the last-gasp weekend win over Bolton.
The 23-year-old has, according to German press, already agreed
personal terms with Liverpool. Elia has made 10 Bundesliga
appearances this season, scoring twice. He was a member of
Holland's World Cup squad, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute in
the final for Dirk Kuyt.
