High flier: But Aquilani also has a history of
injuries and could be a big gamble for Rafa Benitez
Alberto Aquilani flies into England with a series of
medical woes but a playing reputation more in keeping with Steven
Gerrard than Xabi Alonso.
Crowd favourite Alonso’s belated £30million departure
to Real Madrid proved the catalyst for Aquilani’s £20m acquisition,
but the Roma midfielder hardly counts as a like-for-like
replacement at Liverpool.
There is also a risk element to Rafa Benitez’s latest transfer,
given a worrying list of injuries culminating in surgery on
Aquilani’s ankle in May.
However, Aquilani is renowned for bearing down on goal, beams
with pride at his years in the No 8 shirt for his boyhood idols and
is coolness itself from the penalty spot.
Sound familiar? He will have to look for a new squad number,
should he be given a clean bill of health after exhaustive tests at
Melwood this afternoon, and spot-kicks will no longer boost his
goals output, seeing as Gerrard has first say on both.
But the 25-year-old will otherwise be encouraged to replicate
the way he could become a major influence on Roma’s team in a move
that should signal an even more attacking approach from Liverpool
in the coming season.
Aquilani only signed a new four-year deal with Roma worth
£70,000 a week in May, following interest from Arsenal a few months
earlier, but he has been enticed away by a five-year deal that will
increase his weekly wage to £85,000.
His eye for goal suggests he will link up with Gerrard just
behind Fernando Torres, in a departure from last season’s favoured
system of using Alonso and Javier Mascherano as midfield anchor
men.
