According to French newspaper La Provence, Liverpool have been put on alert after Marseille attacker Andre Ayew stated he wants to leave the club. Gunnar Lemmermann looks at what he would bring to Brendan Rodgers’ Reds.
The Reds have been linked with the 5 ft 9 in Ghanaian international before and while Xherdan Shaqiri stated in a Q&A recently that he would still be at Bayern Munich next season, Liverpool’s transfer committee could well turn their attentions towards Andre Ayew.
Ayew began his career in his native country, Ghana, playing for Nania. He made his debut for his hometown club aged 14, before moving to Marseille in 2005.
He spent two seasons in the youth ranks of the French giants before making his debut in the 2007/08 season.
He was loaned out the L’Orient and Arles-Avignon and returned to Marseille in 2010 where he became a massive part in Didier Deschamps’ side.
He won several major honours for his club and on a personal level, including two Ligue 1 titles, 2 French Cup wins, the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2009, the BBC African Player of the Year in 2011 and the Ghana Player of the Year award in 2011.
Style of Play
The 24-year old made 25 appearances for Marseille last season, scoring six goals, creating 27 chances, including 3 assists. All his goals were scored from inside the area. And while wingers usually tend to avoid areal challenges, two of those goals were scored with his head.
He managed to get 23 of his 44 shots on target last season, racking up a strike accuracy of 52%, accumulating to a conversion rate of 13.6%.
Throughout all competitions Ayew has made 161 appearances for Marseille, managing to score 49 goals and assisting on 16 occasions.
He is very good with the ball on his feet and has the ability to pace past defenders and pick out his team mates with accurate passes and he could also be picked out by Philippe Coutinho in a Liverpool side. Usually used on the left, due to his strong left foot, he does have the ability to use his decent right foot as well. He can play also as a secondary striker or in central midfield.
With an average of two defensive actions per game (with 39 clearances, 17 interceptions and two blocks in total), Ayew is one man who team-mates would want to be tracking back in tough games.
-Squawka.com
Conclusion
Ayew brings Champions League experience with him, scoring twice in the group stages against former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez’s Napoli in the last campaign.
Valued at around £10.5 to £12.5 million, Ayew comes with a reasonably low price tag and could prove an even cheaper option to Shaqiri. Even though the two players provide different qualities, Ayew has been part of a title winning side on French level and also in U-20 international level and has played Champions League football.
Previously linked with Liverpool, Ayew could be on his way to Anfield, despite interest from Napoli, Arsenal and Manchester United.
The winger himself stated that he would decide his future after Ghana’s World Cup campaign, although his market value may rise if he managed to show his talent versus the likes of Germany or Portugal.
Although Liverpool might want to secure targets of a little more quality than Ayew, he may well be a great squad player. Reliable, solid and proven in European football.
Do you think Andre Ayew could make the step of the English football and would he be a good addition to the Liverpool team? Let us know in the comments below.
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