Liverpool Transfer News: Reading Striker Shane Long a Smart Target for Anfield

Liverpool have been incredibly busy during this summer's transfer window, with manager Kenny Dalglish wheeling and dealing with the best of them. The Reds have landed a midfield troika in Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing, as well as bolstering their goalkeeping corps with Alexander Doni. 

Meanwhile, Dalglish has been busy selling off spare parts, as he tries to negotiate deals for everyone from Alberto Aquilani and Raul Meireles to Jay Spearing and David Ngog. 

But, the Reds' boss isn't done buying yet. Dalglish is still hunting for depth at the front of his attack as well as at left-back, and has been linked to a number of promising young strikers in recent weeks. 

Most recently Anfield was linked to a potential deal to get Reading starlet Shane Long, as Dalglish hunts for his third striker behind Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll. 

According to a Daily Mail report, Dalglish and Liverpool have been scouting the Irish international as he plies his craft in friendlies this summer. The Reds watched Long score twice in a friendly win over Northampton, and were impressed enough to consider a bid for him. 

Frankly, I can't think of a smarter move for Dalglish to make at this stage of the game. 

We know that neither Suarez nor Carroll are exactly the sturdiest players in the world, and the Reds would be incredibly wise to find an adequate backup plan for them. David Ngog is not that player; he's shown as much in his time at Anfield, but Long looks much more promising.

The 24-year-old is one of the better scorers on the striker market, netting 24 goals for Reading last season. He's got great pace, and remains one of the better running strikers around. He's not a straight poacher like Carroll, nor is he quite as gifted aerially as Suarez, but grabbing the talented young Irishman would give Dalglish a bit more depth and versatility.

Long is excellent with the ball at his feet, capable of making runs, and for a striker, his passing skills are excellent. He can create and make plays for teammates, and would wreak havoc alongside either Suarez or Carroll if need be.

He could thrive in the third striker role, coming off the bench or getting spot starts in relief, or even taking over for one of the oft-injured strikers in the event that their snakebitten pasts continue. Long's offensive gifts make him an excellent third option for this club, and one who could thrive if he's forced into regular duty, ensuring that the club's play up front doesn't drop off in the event of an injury. 

Make no mistake, Long is far from perfect up front; he has yet to play a season at the highest level of football, and it's unclear whether he can thrive there as he did at Reading. On top of that, there's a chance he won't want to leave star status at Reading to become a substitute and spot starter at Anfield. If that's the case, the Reds are wasting their time. 

Then, there's the price tag. Long is going to cost at least £6 million to get, as Reading have already rejected a bid from West Ham at that amount, and anything more than £6 million is a pretty hefty price to pay for a third striker, particularly when you consider how much Dalglish has already spent. 

But that doesn't make this a dumb play by the Reds. Liverpool need a third striker, and Long would be an excellent complement to Carroll and Suarez. His nose for goal would give the Reds an added dimension of depth and versatility up front, and he'd be fully capable of stepping in for either of the club's star strikers without giving up much in terms of talent. 

Sure, he's a little pricey, but given how much Anfield spent on their starting strikers, wouldn't it be wise to get an insurance policy that's as skilled as Long? 

I don't know whether the Reds will bid on the 24-year-old Irishman, but if they can get him at a price close to the £6 million West Ham bid, this is a move they should make.

Long is a skilled scorer, and is just the kind of player Dalglish needs backing up Carroll and Suarez up front. As long as he's willing to accept a third striker role, there's not much not to like about the idea of the Irishman playing at the Kop next season.