1 week Ago By [email protected] (Ian Doyle)
Former Liverpool forward Fernando Morientes believes Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen isn't ready for a move to Anfield Former Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes believes Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen isn't ready for a move to his old club - but would welcome Real Madrid winger Rodrygo at Anfield . The Reds are among a number of clubs to have been linked with Huijsen with 20-year-old centre-back having been an impressive performer for the Cherries since arriving from Juventus last summer. The defender's form saw him earn his first caps for the Spanish national team last month in their UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Holland.
Liverpool are on guard for a revamp of their centre-back options with Ibrahima Konate soon to enter the final 12 months of his contract and Joe Gomez having last year been close to a move to Newcastle United. But Morientes, who spent 18 months at Anfield in the mid-2000s, believes Huijsen must make further steps before the Reds consider a move for the youngster. “I don't know if Dean Huijsen is ready for Liverpool," said the former Spain international.
"I think he's still young and has a lot of room for improvement. What I can tell you is that I've been incredibly surprised by his ability as a central defender. “It's not easy being a centre-back for a big team, but from the little I've seen of him, he seems like a player who has proven himself and is starting to be ready to lead a defence for a big club.
If I were the club's directors, I'd always put someone with experience alongside him as a role model for him to learn from. “But this type of player who learns so quickly, quickly becomes the leader of the defence. Even at Real Madrid, there's been talk of the possibility of signing him.
When they start playing for such big teams, the possibility of you being part of that team is because you're obviously more than ready. “It's another thing when you arrive and prove it later. That's the difficult thing with a player.
When they make the decision to put you there, it's because they really see something different in a player. Then you have to maintain it over time. “That's the tricky part of our sport, of our profession: maintaining your qualities and performance over time.
” Morientes has also suggested Liverpool should be in the conversation if Rodrygo wants to leave Real Madrid in the summer. The player revealed last year a €3million deal was agreed to join the Reds when he was at Santos in 2017 before opting to stay with the Brazilian club, with the winger then moving to the Bernabeu for €45m the following year. Speaking to bet365, who offer the latest UEFA Champions League odds, Morientes said: "If Rodrygo leaves Real Madrid, I'd love for him to go to Liverpool.
However, he plays in Mohamed Salah's position, which would mean Salah wouldn't be in the team anymore, which I'm not too keen on either. “But it's true that Rodrygo has Premier League qualities. Open games, games with space, games with limited resources where he has to navigate in short spaces, a player with tremendous quality and individual talent that can do both.
“I'd like to see him in the Premier League, and I'd like to see him at Liverpool to see how he performs in that league.”.
