Liverpool have been linked with a move for Chelsea man Willian, but don’t compare that deal to the one that brought James Milner to Anfield.
According to some sources, Liverpool have been sniffing around the Brazilian as a free agent. There’s been a fair amount of debate within the community about the forward, and some lazy comparison has been made between him and Milner.
While there is some element of truth in that, if you dig deeper you’ll see that the two free transfers are nothing alike.
For one, James Milner came into the side while still in his prime and was required as a leader in a side that hadn’t really found its identity yet. Jurgen Klopp has given that to Liverpool and that takes away the ‘but he’s experienced’ argument when it comes to Willian.
At his age, Milner could justify asking for a three-or-four year contract. Willian can’t.
He’s being released by Chelsea because he isn’t prepared to accept the shorter extension that Frank Lampard is offering and as such any side who he joins would have to be prepared to sit a depreciating asset on their books for three years.
Liverpool should not be that side.
Milner is also highly versatile and has proven his value to the side time and time again, and came in as a first team player. He played 28 Premier League games in 2015/2016, the year he joined, and 45 in all competitions.
Willian would get nowhere near those numbers. He’d come in as an emergency back-up as cup specialist and that would be terrible value for money.
The Brazilian might be able to offer the occasional moment of quality, but the players in Klopp’s squad can already do that. He doesn’t fill any gaps, doesn’t offer anything we don’t already have and isn’t the same as the deal that brought Milner in.