Emile Heskey tells Liverpool to sign ‘strong’ and ‘explosive’ £131m-rated Man City pair – ‘Iraola would love it’
TEAMtalk has been exclusively told why Liverpool should be all over any opportunity to sign two of Manchester City’s best players if the Premier League’s FFP sanctions on the club forces the eight-time champions to cash in on the £131m-rated duo.
The north-west giants have been found guilty of breaching a staggering 114 of 115 counts of financial irregularities over nine years between 2009 and 2018, having been accused of cooking their books to the tune of £830m by way of multiple ‘sham’ commercial deals.
And while Man City insist they are innocent and plan to take the case to the High Court to clear their name, an independent Premier League panel is currently considering the most appropriate form of punishment.
Amid what is described as a football oblivion scenario that could see City demoted from the Premier League and indeed down the EFL, it’s been explained why it could cost the club as much as £500m annually for each year they are forced to spend outside the top flight.
As a result, some of the club’s biggest and best players have already been linked with high-profile moves away, and now former Reds star Emile Heskey has revealed why he would like to see Liverpool try again to sign both Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo.
The Reds were beaten to the punch on deals for both players last January, despite the Merseyside giants coming within a whisker of signing Guehi just four months earlier and having also held a long-standing interest in Semenyo.
Described as having a golden chance at landing the pair, now rated at a combined £131m (€155m, $173m) by Transfermarkt, by our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher, Heskey also reckons the Reds should launch fresh moves for the duo should the opportunity arise.
“Yes, they should definitely go for them if the chance arises,” Heskey exclusively told TEAMtalk on behalf of 10bet, the home of Champions League betting.
“You try and pick up players at the best rate you could possibly get when it happens. We’ve seen Leicester have to sell off the whole squad, apart from the young lads. So it happens – that’s what happens in football.”
READ MORE: Golden chance for Liverpool to land outstanding Man City pair as FFP timebomb ticks down
Iraola would love to sign Guehi and Semenyo for Liverpool
Asked to explain more on what the pair could bring to Andoni Iraola’s side, Heskey added: “I think Marc Guehi is a very composed, strong defender.
“He’s strong in one-on-ones, and he’s very composed on the ball because he’s played at that level. He came through at Chelsea, so playing out from the back is something he understands in the way the manager would want, and Iraola would love it.
“He’s what I would describe as a very capable centre-back, and I think he’s a fantastic player.”
Turning his focus to Semenyo, Heskey continued: “Semenyo is a very explosive attacking player who’s got an eye for goal.
“He’s exactly what the top four teams want in a wide player – not only do you create, but you’re explosive enough to go and score some goals yourself.”
Liverpool have also been linked with a sensational and scarcely believable move for Erling Haaland, with the prospect of the powerful Norwegian moving to Anfield picking up another backer this week.
Despite that, Liverpool’s focus in January is expected to be on strengthening in midfield and at left-back.
With regard to the latter, we exclusively revealed earlier this week that the Reds are among several sides tracking a talented American teenager, having dispatched scouts to check on his progress.
Many, though, feel that a new midfielder is the most pressing need for the Liverpool boss and a report on Friday morning appeared to give the Reds a clear path at signing a £60m-rated Ligue 1 star.
