News and Views
Tiago Ilori Set To Sign From Liverpool
05 January 2017
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Rumours are gathering pace that Reading are set to complete the signing of Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori. Initial rumours suggested Ilori would be signing on a loan basis, but the Liverpool Echo are now reporting that the transfer deal has been done with Reading set to pay 3.75 milllion pounds for the player. Ilori joined Liverpool in a deal worth seven million pounds in September 2013 from Sporting Lisbon. Half of that fee was initially payable but other payments have failed to trigger with Ilori failing to break into the Reds first team and not making a single Premier League appearance during his time in Liverpool.
The player has been restricted to just three FA Cup appearances - which all came last season. He featured in a 2-2 draw with Exeter, a 3-0 replay win at Anfield, before Liverpool were dumped out of the cup at the hands of West Ham United. Before that he had loan spells at Granada, Bordeux and Aston Villa - but failed to make a competitive appearance with the Villians.
Ilori, initially from Portugal, is 23 years old and is reported to a tall, fast, left footed central defender. He played 33 times for Sporting while also playing for the Portugal youth teams, which attracted Liverpool to pay such a large transfer fee at the start of the 2013/2014 season. Despite his lack of Premier League action he continued to work through the Portugal national set-up and has ten under 21 caps and 3 for Portual's under 23s.
Discussion On This Story:
Sutekh
Certainly be a coup if we persuaded him to come to the Mad Stad, cost Liverpool about £7m three years ago I think so might well be coming to the end of his current deal?
LoyalRoyal22
This lad would fit in perfectly on the left side of the back three, or at the back with Moore.
The defence should find it much easier to play out.
bracksroyal10
Will be comfortable on the ball being a Rodgers signing and I think can play cb and also cdm.
I think VDB is very suspect on the ball in midfield at times so may be a place in there for Tiago but it would be harsh on Evans.
If it's a 3.75 mil deal, he won't have been purchased to sit on the bench
Stranded
I wouldn't take anything away from Villa's ridiculous season last year tbh. Probably better for him he didn't play.
Ok but in last season and a half he has only played 3 competitive games (FA Cup), he's 24 in feb, seems to not lived up to his potential.
For Liverpool, yes - played 15 games for Bordeaux season before last.
His potential appears to be not being good enough for Liverpool, which is hardly a bad thing.
Victor Meldrew
If ever a manager can recognise a decent centre-back it should be our man.
So far he has bought in the excellent Moore and the not-so-great Blackett, although in the case of the latter it looks as though Stam sees him as a left of 3, an orthodox left-back or as a wing-back.I wonder if he doesn't see him as a true centre-back.
This Liverpool lad is very good on the ball (fits the Stam mould) but hasn't looked the strongest but a bit of Stam DNA might turn him into what we need.
Good to see that we might be spending a bit of money for a play-off push as, although we might not be ready yet for promotion, these opportunities need to be grabbed whenever they come around as they don't always.
I am trying to remember if we have ever signed anybody from Liverpool post-war but nobody comes readily to mind apart from Jack Whittham who I don't think we signed directly from them.
Sutekh
I wouldn't take anything away from Villa's ridiculous season last year tbh. Probably better for him he didn't play.
Ok but in last season and a half he has only played 3 competitive games (FA Cup), he's 24 in feb, seems to not lived up to his potential.
Point of order. There is a slight difference between living up to potential at Liverpool and living up to potential at Reading. You could also argue that Moore wasn't living up to his potential at Leicester.
Ilori should know this country's football very well and be the right match for our current system given his years on the continent. Also it's Jaap Stam and his team that has identified him as the right player and who could there be better than being able to spot a central defender. On top of that his English should be excellent and should be raring to prove himself.
On top of that he's apparently quick and would give us the cover we need if Moore or McShane are out as well as allow us to comfortably play three at the back rather than looking quite so dodgy with Berg or Blackett in there. It makes further sense when you understand that Stam primarily sees Blackett as a left back.
If he does arrive let's hope he looks as talented as Carrico did for the brief period he was here.
The deal value is less that £3.75m according to the EP but it could still be a record fee. I suspect though it's something like £2m down with more payable on promotion, appearances plus a sell on fee etc.
Lastly, is this the first ever loan or permanent transfer dealing directly between Reading and Liverpool in either direction? The only other I can think of was Jack Witham who was here for a few games in around 1975 but think that was a loan from Cardiff or something.
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