Liverpool confirmed the capture of Sevilla’s left-back Alberto Moreno for £12 million last week, marking their ninth signing of the summer. Although the new boy was not registered in time to be eligible for Sunday’s clash with Southampton, manager Brendan Rodgers is predicting an instant impact from the 22-year-old Spaniard:
“Alberto is a player with huge potential, but importantly he is also ready to come in and contribute straight away. He is quick, strong and serves the ball really well. We have monitored him in Spain for some time and every time I have seen him I have been greatly impressed.”
THE HISTORY
Born in Seville, Moreno is a product of his hometown youth side. Having been signed up as a 13-year-old, his first-team debut came in 2012 against Athletic Bilbao, and in 2013 he was officially promoted to the main squad. Last year Moreno was a mainstay for their Europa League-winning season, appearing 43 times in all competitions.
The left-back grabbed three goals and two assists for Sevilla last year and offers a genuine threat from the back thanks to impressive levels of pace, strength and ball control. A versatile player, Moreno was featured in midfield five times for the Spanish side in the season gone by.
On the international stage, Moreno has made nine U21 fixtures and was in Spain’s provisional World Cup squad, having debuted against Georgia in qualifying and secured three caps. Many touted him as the preferable understudy for Jordi Alba but he failed to make the cut, with boss Vicente Del Bosque preferring to take 10 midfielders to Brazil and use Juanfran as a cover-all full-back.
THE PROSPECTS
Priced at 5.5 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Moreno looks tailor-made for Rodgers’ style of play. An attacking threat capable of pushing forward and passing players with ease, his above-mentioned goal potential looks promising, bearing in mind only one Liverpool (Jon Flanagan, with a single strike) found the net last season.
Crucially, given the fact Liverpool conceded 50 times and mustered a mere 10 clean sheets in 2013/14, Moreno’s defensive capabilities also bode well and back up Rodgers’ statement that he could make an immediate impression on Merseyside. The 22-year-old’s 2.5 interceptions per game in La Liga last term places him comfortably above Liverpool’s two best full-backs in 2013/14 – Flanagan and Glen Johnson, with 1.7 apiece – essentially, his anticipation could be a key asset at the back and help provide the quick transitions from defence to attack as the Reds hit their opponents with speed on the counter.
If, as anticipated, Moreno can nail down the left-back berth, there are growing question marks over Glen Johnson’s pitch time on the opposite side. Youngster Javier Manquillo (5.0) was handed the right-back berth against Southampton and with the 5.0-priced Flanagan also offering competition once he recovers from a knee problem, there’s a chance that Johnson – now in the final 12 months of his contract – could be gradually edged out of the picture as Rodgers restructures his backline. Clearly, Manquillo or Flanagan offer the cheaper route if either can cement a starting role, though neither currently offers the security of starts likely potentially offered by Moreno or fellow new boy Dejan Lovren.
Certainly, having conceded at home to Southampton on Sunday, few Fantasy managers will be willing to invest in a Reds defence ahead of back-to-back trips to City and Spurs. Those next two matches should give us an indication into Rodgers’ thinking, then, and help firm up our potential plans ahead of an excellent schedule from Gameweek 4 onwards.
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