Liverpool hope to steal in ahead of Arsenal to sign Crystal Palace youngster, and could do so by offering an Anfield star in return.
Liverpool could attempt to jump to the front of the rather long queue for Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha by offering fellow England winger Stewart Downing in exchange, fanatix has learned.
Downing only arrived at Anfield in summer 2011 for the princely sum of £20 million, but it is safe to say that no one believes he is worth that much now.
His fall from grace has been quite sobering to see, and Crystal Palace are not the first nPower Championship team he’s been linked with – as a move to hometown club Middlesbrough has also been mooted.
Downing is a dated kind of winger who seems to have gone out of fashion – so orthodox he almost has to wear a special hat – and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers seems quite unsure what to do with him.
He has been deployed on the right wing in the hope he will turn into Arjen Robben (cut inside and shoot at goal. Rinse and repeat) and at left back in the hope he will turn into Roberto Carlos (cough).
Neither have exactly been roaring successes.
Wilfried Zaha seems a much more modern sort of player – a similar but potentially upgraded version of the likes of Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge that Rodgers has previously managed at Swansea.
Arsenal have long been thought to be frontrunners to sign Zaha, but Liverpool’s enticing reported offer of one England winger for another could help them edge ahead to take him to Anfield.
Downing meanwhile could flourish in the nPower Championship – and potentially help Crystal Palace get promoted.
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