Liverpool Transfer News: Reds Await Carlos Tevez Decision, Latest Rumours

Carlos Tevez will apparently be free to decide his own future this summer, with reports linking Liverpool with a move for the Juventus striker.  

According to the Daily Express (h/t the Daily Telegraph) the Reds are keen to snap up the former Manchester United star to “fill the void left by Luis Suarez.” The piece also claims that if the Bianconeri sample Champions League glory against Barcelona in Berlin on June 6, the Argentina international will leave the Turin giants.

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The club's director general Giuseppe Marotta confirmed as much, per the aforementioned piece: “We’ll meet with him after the Champions League final. We want him to stay, but now the ball is in his court.”

Here are some highlights from what has been a tremendous season for the forward:

In terms of a direct replacement for Suarez, while the Uruguayan is a unique player, there are few strikers on the planet who could fill the void better than Tevez.

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The two share a host of stylistic principles, mixing exceptional work rate and tenacity off the ball with intricacy and incision on it. As is evident by Tevez’s goalscoring feats this season and during his time in the Premier League, he’s a player who is an exceptional finisher, too.

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James Nalton of the Morning Star recently lamented Liverpool’s decision not to pursue Tevez:

But it’s a deal that doesn’t really look feasible. Tevez was unhappy in the north-west when he left Manchester City back in the summer of 2013, so it would have been tough to lure him to Anfield then. Now, even though he remains a fine player, would Reds manager Brendan Rodgers be keen on spending what would be a substantial premium for a player on the wrong side of 30?

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe recently took a look at some alternatives but still notes transfer targets that the Reds could potentially pursue:

While Rodgers’ own position has been a hot topic recently, his modus operandi for Liverpool is to buy young players, with Rickie Lambert and the emotional ties he has with Liverpool perhaps the only exception. Tevez isn’t someone who fits into that particular model, and as such, it’s difficult to see the Reds changing tack and approaching matters from an ephemeral standpoint.

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As Bleacher Report’s Adam Digby noted earlier in the season, Tevez is a vital player for Juventus at this juncture, too:

Indeed, it’s also important to look at things from the player’s perspective. Right now, Tevez is playing for a team on the cusp of treble glory and building for a very bright future. If he were to leave, why would he go to Liverpool, who are a club that appear to be on something of a downturn?

You suspect if he was to agree to an Anfield switch, the Kop would be happy to put his Manchester United connections aside, but Tevez doesn’t look like a realistic option for a Liverpool team facing a summer of major transition.