So, we may be after this guy; Eder Alvarez Balanta (21 year old)
I tell you what he looks verrrry versitile and skillfull, may be a nightmare if he's always out of position but his role may be different playing for us.
Seems like he reads the game amazingly (judging on youtube alone... I know) more than a case of just being gung-ho with his positioning or attack mindedness
Quote is off the Metro site, I know they fabricate most stuff but this seems very specific about the fee etc, it may be true.
"Liverpool have been told they can sign Colombian defender Eder Balanta for just £4.3million after his club River Plate lowered their asking price.
The Reds have been following versatile Balanta for most of the summer so far but have been frustrated by River’s £8million price tag on the player.
However, the club has now confirmed that they’re willing to accept just £4.3million, clearing the way for Liverpool to now swoop in.
‘We value him now at £4.3million,’ said River’s president Rodolfo D’Onofrio."
Eder Alvarez Balanta ● Defending ● Skills ● Goals | 2013-2014Review off
http://outsideoftheboot.com/2013/06/14/eder-alvarez-balanta-scout-report/Style, Strengths & Weaknesses
Its not his confidence as a 20 yr old that are surprising but, rather, the calm and precise style in which he plays. Always focused on the play, Balanta is superb when faced with one-on-one situations. He has the perfect timing and skill to know when to put his leg in for a challenge and when to take it out to avoid a foul. So far, he’s shown this time and again.
He’s also very good at reading the game in defensive situations. Add to this the fact that he is quick on his feet and it becomes easy to explain how the Colombian often beats an opposing attacker to the ball. He is also strong when the time comes to use his weight to put pressure on the ball-carrier and rarely gets carried away into making a clumsy challenge.
A rarity amongst defenders in the top flight of Argentina, Eder Alvarez Balanta is quite a good passer of the ball and actually prefers to play the ball to a team-mate rather than clearing with power as is so common. When passing to a player near-by he chooses to play it across the surface, but when his target is further away he usually makes sure to pick-out a player with enough space to control a higher pass.
Its worth noting that his raised head when on the ball, and his good timing when off it have to do with his background as a central midfielder. That it was probably there that he developed those skills is something that a former Racing and River Plate great Roberto Permufo (also a DM turned centre-back) recently pointed out in a column.
When it comes to aerial challenges, his height is certainly not a problem. Not only is Balanta good with headers, he’s also got very strong legs and can jump as high as he needs to in order to win a ball. While scoring goals is not his priority, the fact that he’s already scored two from set piece situations shows how good he can be at winning crosses on both ends of the pitch.
In general, he’s positioning is quite good and he’s always making himself available for team-mates to pass the ball back to him. When it comes to marking players, he’s often successful and knows how to show rivals away from goal-scoring situations and into tight corners.
Despite having all the appearance of a mature defender, there is no substitute for experience and that is something that, off course, he lacks having only played in seven matches at professional level. This means that, occasionally, he’ll be eager and can be drawn out of the box into tackles that he can’t win, allowing the opposition to exploit the space behind him. Also, he’s not had the chance to face world-class strikers in terms of their speed or cunning eye for goal, let alone players of the size of Zlatan Ibrahimović or Robert Lewandowski.
Because of his speed in getting to the ball, Balanta prefers standing challenges and rarely makes sliding tackles. Also, it remains to be seen how good he is when forced to play the ball with his right foot.