Liverpool FC: Why Charles N'Zogbia Is Most Likely To Join Anfield This Winter?

Charles N'Zogbia, may not be the biggest names to have been linked with Liverpool in the recent days, however, going by a lot of events there is a reason to believe that the Frenchman may well have qualified the grade in Liverpool's eyes.

Liverpool FC are in desperate need for at least one winger to even consider wing-play options and with the inception of NESV, Hodgson surely must have given the idea some thought. 

Incidentally, Charles N'Zogbia's desire to to play for a bigger club has made the news for quite sometime now right from his last days at Newcastle in December 2008, where he ran completely out of favor with their then manager, Joe Kinnear. 

After joining Wigan N'Zogbia, hit top form and has been a regular for the club ever since and has become a fan favorite with his amazing displays ever since.It may be easily said that N'Zogbia is too good a player to keep plying his trade for a team fighting relegation.

Roy Hodgson may have seen all of the Frenchman's prowess for quite a long time now, and so high is his interest in the player, that just before Liverpool hired Damien Comolli, Hodgson was said to have personally requested Liverpool's chief scout Eduardo Macia to check the Latics star in their Carling cup match earlier last week.

Although Macia had to be satisfied with a substitute appearance then, now with Liverpool due to play Wigan next, Hodgson himself along with the newly appointed Damien Comolli will have plenty to watch out for in the battling winger.

There are also a few other issues that needs mention as to why N'Zogbia may be a favorite to join Liverpool FC, come January.I have enumerated them as below :

1. Wigan Athletic DO NOT play in Europe   

---> Thus implying no Cup-tied issues would accompany N'Zogbia as it could be with a few other players. Also there is a much prevalent idea that good clubs don't want to part with their players mid-season and thus slap highly inflated rates on them. It is for this reason that the January transfer window is considered a low quality window and Liverpool may find it tough to lure brilliant players in the window.
Charles N'Zogbia however hails from a team which really doesn't pride on itself to bring home silver ware soon, also the presence of players like Victor Moses and Co. could mean that Wigan could be ready to part with their prized asset in the winter. 

2. Price Tag Attached 

--> Although Wigan are known to slap exorbitant prices on their players in recent times (e.g., Valencia), N'Zogbia's repeated requests to leave the club may work in Liverpool's favor. It is rumored that Liverpool may obtain the Latics star for as much as £ 7m .

3. Experience in the Premier League

--> Charles N'Zogbia  has played for both Newcastle and Wigan in the Premier League for quite a long time now and it can be easily concluded that any other experienced Premier League player linked to Liverpool, (e.g., Ashley Young) may cost the Reds a few times more than N'Zogbia, not only in terms of transfer cost, but also wages. (Even though I admit, Ashley Young may be an improved version).

4. Age, Promise, Ability

--> Surely, anybody reading this will find a lot many examples who fulfill the above characteristics, however going by the foresaid points, the 24-year old has an advantage over some of the others. NESV has made it clear that they would be ready to invest in young players, and if it is for an experienced player like N'Zogbia who has been quite a star for Wigan and who is also as technically gifted in a way far better than any other winger in the mid-table in the Premier League, it could be well worth it.

N'Zogbia also has a good work-ethic and that rare prowess to score goals even being an out and out winger. He has already scored 3 this season, including one with a screamer of a free-kick in Wigan's last which ended in a 1-2 loss to Blackburn away at Ewood Park.

Surely with all his abilities, he has to be one of the most under-rated players in the Premier League.

5. Liverpool Need (and probabaly will go for) a World-Class Striker

--> The New Liverpool owners have made it clear that they are no Sheikhs and won't splash the cash recklessly. Liverpool on the other hand know that a high quality striker will cost them heavily too. Keeping these two facts in the balance, Liverpool may well go for N'Zogbia, whose transfer could easily be funded by selling the likes of Ryan Babel to willing suitors in Birmingham City. 

From all the foresaid points we can easily conclude, that though apparently not as brilliant an option, Charles N'Zogbia for £ 7-8m may well be a smart investment.As the following phrase tells :

"His transfer to Newcastle officially went through on 2 September 2004, the last player to be signed by the late Sir Bobby Robson.
Robson later said of him: "N'Zogbia could go to the very top with the right coaching and motivation, and I hope it is with Newcastle. I signed him as a teenager and he was one of the most naturally gifted players of that age I'd ever seen.""

No wonder, Even Arsenal were interested in signing the player during his stay at Newcastle.