Leicester City Opinion: Brendan Rodgers should reunite with Daniel Sturridge
According to the Sun, Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers is plotting a sensational reunion with Liverpool star Daniel Sturridge in the summer.
Sturridge netted a staggering 21 goals in the Premier League as Liverpool came ever so close to winning the title under the stewardship of Rodgers in the 2013-14 season. And Rodgers, now at Leicester, wants to reunite with the 29-year-old at the King Power Stadium, with the Englishman out of contract at the end of the season.
The England international has enjoyed stints at Man City, Chelsea, Bolton, West Brom and Liverpool, with his most fruitful spell coming at Anfield. The 29-year-old has accumulated a total of 68 goals and 26 assists from 157 appearances for the Reds in all competitions over the course of seven seasons at the club.
However, his playtime has diminished since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp and a poor track record of injuries has pushed him down the pecking order at Merseyside.
With the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah going all guns blazing, Sturridge won’t have a significant role to play at Liverpool and a move away from Anfield might just help him resurrect his faltering career.
Sturridge reminded the fans that he is still capable of delivering spectacular goals by scoring the equalizer in Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea earlier in the season with a thunderous long-range effort. Recurrent injuries and lack of regular minutes might have drained his confidence levels but Sturridge is a quality striker who still has plenty to offer at the highest level.
To put things into perspective, the acquisition of an experienced striker like Sturridge on a free transfer would be a massive coup for Leicester City. And the fact that Rodgers knows him very well back from his earlier managerial days at Liverpool should make it easier for him acclimatise to the new surroundings and rejuvenate a career that has come to a standstill.
Leicester’s winning run of six games in the Premier League under Rodgers came to an end with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United but the Foxes are still very much in contention for a Europa League qualification spot.
Rodgers’ arrival has witnessed the resurgence of Jamie Vardy but the manager should look to bring in another quality striker in the summer to bolster his attack. Kelechi Iheanacho hasn’t scored for more than 6 months while Shinji Okazaki has also slipped down the pecking order.
Hence, the Foxes should look to get rid of deadwood to accommodate fresh faces and Sturridge would be a welcome addition.
Dominant in the air and blessed with the instincts of a typical centre-forward, Sturridge is a bona-fide goalscorer in English football who knows exactly how to get his name on the scoresheet.
Known for ability exceptional distance shooting abilities and link up play, the 29-year-old not only gets on the end of crosses and through balls to score goals but he has a penchant for creating chances as well.
Vardy is currently the only striker in Leicester’s ranks who is capable of delivering 15-20 goals in a season and someone like Sturridge would be an ideal partner to complement him up front and take the pressure off his shoulders.
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Sturridge has played for three of the top-six clubs in the Premier League and has a bagful of European experience as well, something which should prove to be handy for Leicester City.
His arrival on a free transfer would undoubtedly be a massive boost for the Foxes and that said, Leicester should do everything in their power to lure the Englishman to the King Power Stadium in what would be a win-win deal for both parties.
