Glen Johnson: Why Liverpool Are Making The Right Move

If today's reports are correct, then Liverpool looks set to capture Glen Johnson from Portsmouth with a fee thought to be in the region of £18.5 million. With some fans claiming this is the wrong move from the Liverpool manager, there are many who know this could be a positive step forward at quite a reasonable price.

The hefty transfer fee appears to be the sticking point for some supporters, who think £18.5 million is an amount that could be better spent on a pacey winger to unlock stubborn defences. However, it's widely known by top-class managers that skillful attacking fullbacks can also provide that extra dimension when going forward.

In response, other supporters claim the Johnson transfer will not actually equate to the full amount, because Portsmouth still owes £7 million from their purchase of Peter Crouch.

Crouch was acquired by Rafa Benitez for £7 million and sold on for a reported £11 million to Pompey, resulting in a £4 million profit. But the whole unpaid amount of £7 million would not be offset against the purchase of Glen Johnson. It would only be the £4 million profit from the sale of Crouch that would go towards the transfer fee.

This would bring the cost for buying Johnson down to £14.5 million.

Added to this is the reported sale of Alvaro Arbeloa back to Spain for £8 million. This is a direct replacement and upgrade for the right back position, and the possible £5.4 million profit made from selling Arbeloa would bring the Glen Johnson fee down even further to just £9.1 million.

Not a bad price for someone of such good quality.

Another positive for bringing Johnson to Anfield is his English nationality, something the Liverpool first team has been lacking of late, with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher the only definite English starters last season.

With the imminent arrival of a variation of FIFA's 6+5 rule, and the current UEFA rule of 4+4 for European competition, the arrival of the new England right back would certainly bolster the Liverpool first team with much-needed homegrown players.

Johnson has also broken back in the England setup, and with a good run under the current England manager, Fabio Capello, Johnson looks like he has nailed down the right back position for his country.

Another factor worth mentioning is Johnson's age, because at just 24, he is yet to reach his peak. It shows Rafa is also solidifying the building of the first team for the foreseeable long-term future by bringing in young players.

With the arrival of the Portsmouth player looking ever more likely, some Liverpool supporters are defending Alvaro Arbeloa. They believe he is doing a decent job and Rafa should not be thinking of moving him on from the club.

Arbeloa would make a very worthy backup to Johnson, but lack of funds means his departure is necessary. He is a solid defender who does a tidy job at the back and also has a decent cross.

However, going forward the Spanish squad player lacks imagination, and if he can't beat his opposite number, he will come back to the halfway line and feed the ball back to the central defenders.

Johnson is known for his attacking prowess, and going forward he definitely poses more of a threat. The forward-thinking right back could be a possible answer to breaking down teams who insist on getting all 11 players behind the ball.

Lately, he's shown a fantastic cross, and he certainly provides ample assists from the wing. Johnson is also confident at the back and would form a remarkable partnership alongside Jamie Carragher.

It looks very promising and definitely provides a bright future for Liverpool having the 24-year-old building a strong back line alongside Daniel Agger (24), Martin Skrtel (24), and Emiliano Insua (20).

Not only is Johnson recognised as being a fantastic talent for club and country, he also has massive amounts of Premier League experience, with valuable title-winning campaigns under his belt. He played alongside some of the best players in the world during his time at Chelsea and also had a wealth of experience under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho.

This only adds to the already long list of positives that Glen Johnson would bring to Liverpool if he completes his £18.5 million transfer from Portsmouth.