A man with no idea how to use Photoshop (me) offers his impression of how Johnson would look in a Liverpool shirt
By all accounts, Portsmouth have accepted an £18m bid from Liverpool for Glen Johnson. Hmm, funny that Rafa Benitez is suddenly willing to spend so much on Johnson when he enquired about the right-back’s availability in January and balked then at the £9m Pompey wanted.
Johnson had a good season at Pompey, in as much as he seemed to discover a new, effective forward gear, and also by comparison with his defensive team-mates, all of whom had relatively poor seasons. He’s also flourished under Fabio Capello, and is well-placed to be England’s first-choice RB at next year’s World Cup.
But is Johnson worth £18m? And is he so much better than Alvaro Arbeloa (who may now be sold, along with Andrea Dossena, to help fund the signing)?
I think this makes sense, even if £18m is hardly a bargain. Arbeloa is very solid and has rarely let Liverpool down, but I think Johnson has more to offer, especially going forward. Benitez likes his players to be natural athletes, and there’s no doubt that Johnson trumps Arbeloa on that count.
The real losers are Chelsea, who ditched Johnson for £4m. I suppose the club didn’t foresee that Johnson, who used to have his head in the clouds, would choose to knuckle down and better himself, but with the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that selling Johnson was a significant mistake.
Do you think it’s a good move for Liverpool to blow £18m on Johnson? Leave a comment or vote below (or do both!):
Horror Hair: Glen Johnson