Liverpool set to lose out on England international
Liverpool FC look set to miss out on Stewart Downing with the England winger looking to either join Arsenal or remain at Aston Villa. The sale of Ashley Young to Manchester United has made keeping Downing all the more urgent for Alex McLeish but the player himself see’s no reason to join another side not in European competition.
Liverpool FC realise this and will now focus their full attention on 24 year old Saint Etienne winger Dimitri Payet with whom the Anfield club are on the verge of sealing for around €15m. The France international has been with the Ligue 1 side since 2007 after spending two years with Nantes and reports claim the young Frenchman is ready for a new challenge.
As Liverpool embark on a season without European distractions it could be assumed that Downing feels the current Liverpool side could lose out on a top four finish next thus preferring a move to Arsenal who are already in the Champions League – albeit qualifying round – and possibly favours Arsenal to remain the top four during the next campaign.
Payet is not a bad replacement though and despite Dalglish obviously keen to purchase British talent ahead of foreign players, the odd one or two will certainly be very likely over the next few weeks.
