Hunting For a Forward: Should Liverpool Re-Sign Luis Garcia?

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Since departing Liverpool for Atletico Madrid, Luis Garcia has recently fallen out of favour with the Spanish club. Last season, he was mainly used as a late substitute.

The Catalan-born winger started his career in Barcelona and had loan spells with Valladolid, Toledo, and Tenerife. He then made a permanent switch to Atletico Madrid in summer 2002.

However, Barcelona exercised an option to sign him back one season later.

In summer 2004, Garcia was part of the Spanish contingent Rafa Benitez brought to Liverpool. The fee to sign him was reportedly around £6 million.

His spell on Merseyside was probably the prime of his career. Not only did he win the Champions League in his first season, but he also earned his first international cap whilst playing for the club.

Luis Garcia was then sold to Atletico Madrid in 2007 after three brilliant years at Anfield.

Since January of this year, several Premiership clubs have been rumoured to be making a move to bring him back to England. Luis Garcia has only one year left on his contract and Atletico Madrid will most probably listen to any offer that comes.

So should Liverpool re-sign Luis Garcia?

The moment I heard that he could leave his current club, I started dreaming about having him back in Liverpool. Luis Garcia is one of my favourite players and he will always be one.

But having thought about this carefully later on, I was not sure whether the deal would be good for both Liverpool and Luis Garcia.

During his three-year spell in Liverpool, Garcia rarely performed badly. He never disappeared in big matches; he scored vital goals against Juventus, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Everton.

He wasn't the most clinical finisher but he was always dangerous in opposition's area. He was the player who appeared out of nowhere and notched a goal. He wasn't the fastest runner but always found himself enough spaces to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Based on his past performances for Liverpool, surely signing him is not a bad idea right? Besides, he should be available for less than or around £5 million.

But what exactly made me uncertain about re-signing the player?

When he was sold to Atletico in 2007, Rafa responded by signing Yossi Benayoun, a player very similar to Luis Garcia, as he knew the importance of a Garcia-like player in the team.

Yossi Benayoun has been one of the important players over the last two seasons, especially towards the end of the last campaign. Sadly, his contributions where ignored by the majority, and was only noticed by most when he scored the winner against Real Madrid in March—a goal that also cemented his place in the side.

The question is where is Luis Garcia going to play if he comes back to Anfield?

Dirk Kuyt has made the right-wing position his own and Albert Riera doesn't look like leaving this summer. Furthermore, nobody forms a better partnership with Fernando Torres than Steven Gerrard.

Besides, Luis Garcia has just turned 31 a few days back and is reaching the end of his peak.

Yossi Benayoun is happy at Liverpool and a contract extension for the Israeli captain is possible this summer. Ryan Babel was heavily linked with an exit a couple of months back, but apparently no club has launched a serious bid or officially declared interest.

And wouldn't Rafa want to continue giving Nabil El Zhar chances in the first team? El Zhar is one of the rare youngsters who rose from the reserves into the first-team under Rafa.

Despite all the factors against the return of Luis Garcia to Liverpool, I still believe that Luis Garcia has still got what it takes to play at the highest level. In my opinion, signing him as a "super-sub" kind of player wouldn't harm any team at all.

Luis Garcia has around three or four years before counting his days to retirement and hopefully a return to Liverpool can help him end his career with a high. But I will still support him and wish him the best no matter where he ends up next season.

So please sign our Luis again...

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