5 Things You Need to Know About Liverpool Target Romulo

No sooner had Liverpool seemingly lost out in the race to sign Egyptian winger Moahmed Salah to Chelsea, they were linked with Spartak Moscow's Romulo, as per Jamie Sanderson of Metro.

The Brazilian defensive midfielder is thought to have caught the eye of Brendan Rodgers, with Liverpool having already made enquiries into his availability, according to Ben Jefferson of the Express.

Liverpool are in need of a commanding player in the heart of their midfield to relieve the defence of some responsibility, and provide back-up in the hope that the Reds' defence will become as formidable as their attack.

In 23-year-old Romulo, Liverpool could have found the perfect player—and with Lucas Leiva out injured for some time, as per David Anderson of the Mirror, now would be the perfect time to buy.

However, a Liverpool transfer is never that straight forward and Romulo, like many Reds' targets before, comes with several string attached. 

He's Been Injured for 18 Months

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Romulo suffered a big injury blow just six games into his career for Spartak Moscow, "tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and partially rupturing his posterior and lateral ligaments," according to RIA Novosti.

After knee surgery, Romulo returned to training last summer and looked to be nearing the end of his rehabilitation—until the knee problem struck again.

Having not played for the best part of 18 months, signing Romulo would be a huge gamble by Liverpool, with echoes of Alberto Aquilani's transfer in 2009. 

He Can Score

Prior to his knee injury, Romulo made an exciting start to his career in the Russian Premier League, scoring twice in six league appearances for Spartak.

His first goal came on his debut against Rubin Kazan (above), before he scored at Barcelona in a Champions League defeat to the Catalan giants back in September 2012. 

He's Impressed Before

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Romulo caught the attention of Spartak scouts with a successful career at Vasco da Gama in his homeland, scoring seven times in 88 appearances.

He was defensively sound for the Brazilians, and became a dominant force in the heart of their midfield.

Spartak signed him for around €8 million in 2012, per ESPN. 

He's an Olympian

Romulo was part of the Brazil squad that were runners-up in the 2012 Olympic Games in England.

He got on the scoresheet, too, during Brazil's 3-0 victory over South Korea at Old Trafford.

Romulo started the final, against Mexico at Wembley Stadium, which Brazil lost 2-1. 

He's Strong in the Air

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At 6'0", per Squawka, Romulo has both the height and athleticism to do well in the air. That will come as a welcome addition to Liverpool's midfield, should they sign him.

Quoted by World Soccer in 2012, Romulo gave some background on his philosophy as a physically strong, but cautious central defensive midfielder:

"

I look to go in hard, but only to get the ball.

That’s why I don’t commit many fouls. Set-pieces are increasingly dangerous, so I try hard to avoid conceding them. 

"