As Brendan Rodgers looks forward to his first season without Luis Suarez, his club have confirmed their seventh summer signing, in the shape of Spanish youth international Javier Manquillo, who will sign on loan from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid. Having began his career at Real Madrid, the 20-year-old defender switched city allegiance to Atletico in 2007, and though he has so far only started 6 games since then, and was sidelined for a month last term thanks to a nasty looking neck injury, he is deemed a star for the future. That is presumably the thinking behind the temporary deal to Liverpool - which is widely expected to be confirmed as a two year loan with a view to a £5m permanent deal - who only have Glen Johnson as an option at right-back (with Jon Flanagan able to cover both flanks). The athletic right-back, as he has been termed by the official confirmation will likely come in as competition to Johnson, whose poor form at times last season might account for the League runners up shipping 50 goals and looking frail at the back, especially on the break. If Manquillo's presence makes the England international buck his ideas up, that can only be a good thing, and in the process of shoring up the foundations, the Reds have potentially signed their long-term replacement for Johnson. Manquillo spoke of his happiness to join the club in the usual manner to the official website:
"I'm very happy to have signed for a club like Liverpool. I think it's one of the biggest in Europe. Any footballer would want to come and play here. "When they tell you Liverpool want to sign you, I think like any player, you are going to be absolutely amazed and you don't think of anything else than going straight there. It's a team that nowadays, as I said before, any player would want to be a part of."
Some Liverpool fans might be forgiven to feeling wary of the signing, considering the club's uneven history with Spanish players, but the loan agreement at least protects the club in their attempt to unearth a gem. If he fails, he won't be Liverpool's problem, and if he flourishes, he might well stay around and make the first-team berth his beyond the two years. https://twitter.com/LFC/status/496990962393296896 Are you happy with this signing? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.
