Liverpool Eye January Move for a Striker: The 7 Forwards Most Heavily Linked
Roy Hodgson's Liverpool team have made a poor start to the season and will reportedly look to recruit a striker in the January transfer window.
Ola Toivonen, Gervinho and Roque Santa Cruz are just some of the names reportedly in the mix for a mid-season switch to Anfield. So who are they, and what can they bring to the table?
The Swedish Hitman: Ola Toivonen
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The Swedish international is enjoying his best season yet for Dutch outfit PSV, having scored 10 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions so far.
His contribution has helped propel PSV to first place in the Dutch Eredivisie as it looks to win the title for the first time in three years.
Ola Toivonen is a towering forward who is strong in the air and has good technical skills.
He has an excellent shot on his right foot and is faster than he appears to be, despite his height.
The former Malmo FF man has also been capped 12 times for his national team, scoring twice, and is considered one of Sweden's top future strikers.
The Powerful Argentine: Lisandro Lopez
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Lisandro Lopez has been a revelation since his €24 million move from Portuguese powerhouse Porto to Lyon last year, scoring a highly impressive 22 goals in 45 appearances in his debut season.
The right-footed Argentinean, who holds an Italian passport, has so far scored five goals in nine matches for Lyon this season, including a goal against Benfica in the Champions League in October.
A natural leader, Lopez's high work rate means he often drops to help his defence.
Powerful and mobile, he is renowned for scoring important goals for his team and putting pressure on opposing players.
His vision and intelligent reading of the game helps him get into good goal-scoring positions.
1.75m-tall, Lopez has been capped seven times for Argentina and scored once.
The Natural Goal-Scorer: Lucas Barrios
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Lucas Barrios made the move to Dortmund from Chilean giants Colo-Colo ahead of the 2009/2010 season, and has made an instant impact in his debut year, scoring 23 goals in 36 matches.
And the Paraguay striker has continued his inspiring form for Borussia Dortmund this term as his side are mounting a serious title challenge for the first time in years.
He has been prolific, scoring 12 times in 21 showings in the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal (German Cup) and the UEFA Europa League.
A natural goal-scorer, the 1.87m-tall player is strong in the air and quick on the ground.
Will likely fit in anywhere he goes, but Dortmund will be reluctant to see him leave.
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The Exciting Potential: Luuk De Jong
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Dutchman Luuk de Jong is currently in his second year with FC Twente following his 2008 move from De Graafschap.
He currently boasts a return of eight goals in 19 displays and is constantly improving.
Despite his excellent form for Twente this year, he is still young and requires time to develop into the finished product.
The Montenegro Powerhouse: Mirko Vucinic
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Montenegro striker Mirko Vucinic has been a Roma player since 2006, having transferred from Lecce for a reported fee of €12m, and has amassed a tremendous amount of experience playing in the Italian Serie A and Champions League.
Powerful and driven, Vucinic is considered one of the best forwards in Italy.
Capped 21 times by his national team with a return of 11 goals, the striker is currently 27 years of age and has the attributes to succeed in the English Premier League if given the opportunity.
The Ivorian Trickster: Gervinho
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Ivory Coast ace Gervinho has recently been drawing the attention of many of Europe's top clubs.
Having made the switch from Le Mans to Lille in 2009 for €6.5 million, the Ivorian bagged 18 goals in 43 showings on his debut season for the club.
And the 23-year-old has so far scored six goals and provided two assists in 20 matches in all competitions this year to help Lille to an excellent season so far.
The Towering Target Man: Roque Santa Cruz
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Roque Santa Cruz's breakthrough was undoubtedly for Blackburn Rovers in the 2007/2008 season.
The former Bayern Munchen man arrived for just €4 million and netted 19 goals in 37 appearances for the Premier League outfit.
He became a transfer target for moneybags Manchester City and was signed for €21 million ahead of the 2009/2010 season.
Failing to impress with a return of three goals from 19 showings, Santa Cruz fell down the pecking order at Eastlands and will reportedly be allowed a move away on the cheap.
The 29-year-old has proved that he can score goals in the Premier League, and would jump at the chance to get back to his best elsewhere.
Has represented the Paraguayan national team 79 times and scored 23 goals.
This Article Was Originally Published by IMScouting.com
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This article was originally published by IMScouting.com.
For player profiles, analysis, opinions, match highlights and more, visit www.imscouting.com.
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