According to ESPN, Benfica’s 20-year-old Serbian winger Lazar Markovic is expected to undergo a medical at Liverpool after a fee of around £25 million was recently agreed between the two clubs. For someone so young, he has an excellent eye for goal and has a good amount of European experience. The fact that Brendan Rodgers is willing so spend so much money on the youngster is evidence of his quality.
Markovic found the net 13 times in 46 appearances for Partizan Belgrade before making the switch Portugal. He moved to Benfica in 2013, becoming a key part of their Primeira Liga-winning team and their charge to the 2014 Europa League final, where they suffered a cruel defeat to Sevilla on penalties.
The Serbia Situs Bola international can vary his play in different situations, meaning he would provide the versatility that the Liverpool boss craves so much. His natural pace and flair scares defenders, as well as his ability to change the game with the flick of a ball. Having Markovic on one side and Raheem Sterling on the other can result in good things for the club, and is a mouth-watering prospect for a team undertaking their first Champions League campaign since the 2009/2010 season.
Brendan Rodgers is sure to add to his squad over the summer, with a list of original transfer targets being added to by players shining at the World Cup. Exactly who the Reds get is yet to be determined, but one thing for certain is that Lazar Markovic would be a perfect addition for Liverpool.
Brazil Crash Out Of The World Cup – Why This Should Concern Chelsea
Last night 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil bowed out in the semi-finals to Germany in horrific fashion. It was an absolute disaster for Brazil, who lost the game 7-1. The result is now their record defeat in a World Cup finals. There were three Chelsea players involved for the hosts at this World Cup: Oscar, Ramires and Willian. Will this affect their performances in the new season?
When the final whistle was blown on the semi-final between Brazil and Germany, it was hard to put into words what we had all witnessed. Seeing Brazil perform so badly was like nothing I or anyone else had ever seen before. The players looked absolutely distraught afterwards and rightly so after such a lacklustre performance.
It might take them a little more than a good night’s sleep for them to get over such heartbreak and this will be a concern for Jose Mourinho and Chelsea, who start their Premier League campaign in around a month’s time. With the Brazilian trio possibly having that nightmare still in their heads, Alan Shearer commented after the game that it could damage these players mentally in the long-term.
I would imagine that all of the players were heartbroken, with tears flooding from the majority in yellow and green. Oscar looked inconsolable as Thiago Silva tried to comfort him. If it does take a long while for them to get over the defeat then, by the looks of those scenes after the game, Oscar might be one of those that suffers the most. With him, Ramires and Willian being key Chelsea players, this could prove damaging to Chelsea’s overall performances next season.
With the play-off to decide who finishes in third and fourth place coming up for Brazil, Scolari needs to make a decision about who to play, as another big defeat could damage them even further.
