Why Schalke's Dennis Aogo Should Turn Down a Move to Liverpool

You may think making a career-defining transfer to Liverpool is in the best interest of Schalke defender Dennis Aogo, on loan from Hamburg.

It isn't, so find out why Aogo should turn down a move to Liverpool. 

According to Ben Jefferson at The Express, Liverpool are targeting Aogo, whose playing rights are owned by Hamburg, in the summer transfer window:

"

Reports in Germany suggest that Schalke, where Aogo is currently on loan, thought they had agreed a deal that would see the 26-year-old make the move permanent at the end of the season.

But according to Bild, Aogo is yet to agree to the move and could yet push for a transfer that would see hims earn a higher salary elsewhere.

And that has alerted Liverpool to the possibility that left-back Aogo, who has played for Germany on 12 occasions, might prefer a move to Anfield.

"

Dennis Aogo Would Be Warming the Hamburg Benches

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Schalke manager Jens Keller did not care about Dennis Aogo being in a slump. 

Last season for Hamburg, kicker magazine ranked Aogo 190 out of 210 players. 

On a scale of one to six, six is the worst rating a Bundesliga player can receive from kicker magazine.

Aogo registered back-to-back sixes in the 9-2 thrashing to Bayern Munich and a 1-0 defeat to Freiburg.

Then Hamburg manager Thorsten Fink believed Aogo was a defensive liability, which is why Marcell Jansen was the primary left-back. 

Fink played Aogo in a diamond formation on the left side, thinking he would protect Jansen.

Talk about flawed thinking since Rafael van der Vaart averaged the same amount of tackles per league game as Aogo (1.3). 

This season, reverting to a 4-2-3-1, Fink benched Aogo in Hamburg's first two league games for Jacques Zoua, previously an impact sub for Basel.

So you get a sense of how frustrated Aogo is and this is why he took a detour to Mallorca. 

"In principle the players can do what they want on their off days but to go to a party island after such a bad performance is a bad sign," said Hamburg sporting director Oliver Kreuzer, via Reuters. "We do not give two days off so that people fly to Mallorca but so that they can think about how they can become better."

A week later, Keller threw Aogo a lifeline, per UEFA.com: "Hamburger SV defender Dennis Aogo has joined FC Schalke 04 on loan for the remainder of the season with Sead Kolasinac and Christian Fuchs both currently unavailable."

Dennis Aogo Owes Schalke Manager Jens Keller Loyalty

Joern Pollex/Getty Images

If Schalke opt to extend Dennis Aogo's loan into a permanent deal, why would Aogo walk away from manager Jens Keller?

With Christian Fuchs back in the picture, he was moved into midfield by Keller, who believes in Aogo, whether as a left-back or as a ball-playing midfielder, where he is given license to dictate the flow of Schalke's games. 

This is why he leads the club in shots created for teammates per game (1.7). 

Aogo only needs to look at how refreshed Kevin-Prince Boateng is at Schalke.

Boateng has scored five times in nine league games and has been given a new lease on life by Keller.

Keller can help Aogo's game get back to the level where he will have a role in Joachim Loew's German FIFA World Cup squad next year. 

Liverpool Isn't for Everyone

Joern Pollex/Getty Images

Last October at Hamburg, Dennis Aogo showed courage in revealing his battle to overcome a bout of depression, from Bild via Barney Cullum at Goal.com:

"

Body and mind are interrelated. I thought that it was just a phase but the point came when I could no longer help the team.

I was depressed and mentally I felt that I was no longer myself. Therefore, I asked the coach [Thorsten Fink] if I could get it checked thoroughly.

After 10 days [of care] the motivation and momentum came back. This was not an easy time but I feel really good again.

"

Liverpool are 18-time First Division champions with four European Cups and a UEFA Champions League title. 

Their supporters expect greatness.

Players who hinder the club, Paul Konchesky comes to mind, are butchered without compassion on social media and in real life. 

Sebastian Coates, who was voted the 2011 Copa America Best Young Player, has no confidence. 

It wasn't just the injuries but the doubt the fans had in him that seeped into Coates' mind.

He played like a pub footballer against League One club Oldham where he was culpable as Liverpool were embarrassingly beaten.

Can Aogo deal with the fall-out if he plays poorly for Liverpool?

Turning down Liverpool and staying in the Bundesliga, preferably Schalke if they can agree on a fee with Hamburg, might not be the most lucrative option, but it is the best footballing choice for Aogo.  

Statistics via WhoScored, FFT Stats Zone, Squawka and Transfermarkt.
Google+: +allanjiang
Twitter: @allanjiangLIVE