Liverpool have been in great attacking form this season and that very form has taken them to the top of the table. Phillipe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane have all been vital to the Anfield club’s successes so far this season. They have dominated the league and any opponent that has come in front of them, but one player that hasn’t seen much playing time this season is Daniel Sturridge, who has Firmino and Origi ahead of him in the attacking pecking order of Jurgen Klopp.
Sturridge moved to Liverpool from Chelsea in 2013. Prior to his Stamford Bridge episode, Sturridge lined up for Manchester City. So for someone who is still 27, he has had quite a nomadic career, also featuring for Bolton Wanderers on loan from Chelsea for a brief period.
His most successful period as a player came in the season of 2013/14 when Liverpool narrowly missed out on the title in the last few games of the season. Helped by Suarez’s and Sturridge’s presence up front, Liverpool became the first team to score more than 100 league goals and NOT win the title. Daniel got on the score sheet 21 times that season and forged a great partnership with Suarez that was famously named ‘SAS’.
Sturridge has played only 8 times in the league this season, with most of them being appearances off the bench. For an England international that has played for his country 25 times, including at big tournaments, that is simply not good enough. Off late, Sturridge has been coming off the bench to great effect. Especially on his recent outing against Watford in Liverpool’s 6-1 win, Sturridge hit the post nearly twice and had few other chances to score.
There is no doubt that Sturridge is working hard in training and is keeping his focus on Liverpool, but for how long will Klopp continue to ignore the fine player that he is. It almost seems as if Klopp has made up his mind that Firmino will remain his first choice to play up front. At various times this season, even Divock Origi has been ahead of Sturridge in the pecking order. This will undoubtedly irk a man of Sturridge’s calibre and it might make him explore a departure from Anfield to get his career back on track.
The 2 seasons following the one in which he scored 21 goals have been marred by injuries and other such issues. Sturridge only made a total 40 odd appearances in both seasons combined as he struggled to overcome fitness concerns. Such concerns have carried over to this season, where Klopp has been reserved in his use of Daniel Sturridge. This will come as a cause for concern for the England international and come January, he might as well be on the move to a club that can afford him the playing time he deserves.
AC Milan, the Italian giants have been mooted as the next destination for Sturridge. They are in need of a makeover as they aim to qualify for the Champions League next season. Sturridge could be the perfect man to replace Colombian Carlos Bacca who has been out of sorts this season.
The Italian heavyweights have also had heavy foreign investment from China to help their financial situation and they can compete with bigger clubs now. So affording Sturridge wouldn’t be as much as a problem as convincing him to make the move in the first place. His Three Lions pal Joe Hart has moved to Torino on a season-long loan and this could entice Sturridge to join up with him in Italy.