• Premier League

Agger perfect 'fit' for Barcelona

ESPN staff
June 19, 2013
Daniel Agger has been linked with a move away from Anfield in recent months © Getty Images
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Liverpool academy chief Rodolfo Borrell, a former Barcelona youth-coach, has said that Reds defender Daniel Agger would fit in perfectly at the Camp Nou.

Barca are known to be on the lookout for a new centre-half this summer, and with apparent first choice Thiago Silva seemingly staying at Paris Saint-Germain, have cast the net wider to include options including Agger, 28, and Valencia's Jeremy Mathieu.

Borrell told Catalan radio station SER Esports that the Danish international's footballing style would be ideal for Barca.

"Agger has the right characteristics to adapt to Barca's play," he said.

"He is a very trustworthy centrehalf, above all on the ball, because he comes out very well with it. In a style like Barca's where he start to build moves from the keeper, a defender must have a good pass, must make the right decisions, and be quick when you lose the ball and good in the air at set-pieces both in defence and attack. Agger fulfills all these qualities.

Borrell added given that [manager] Tito Vilanova's current centre-half options of Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol are are all right footers, signing a left-footer such as Agger would make sense.

"At Barca, where all the centre-backs are right-footed, to have a lefty would make it much easier to bring the ball out," he said.

Agger may not be the only Anfield player making the trip to Barcelona during this summer's transfer window, as speculation continues to link goalkeeper Pepe Reina with a move to the Catalan capital as a replacement for Victor Valdes.

Although Valdes' announcement that he hoped to stay and see out the last 12 months of his contract at the Camp Nou made a move look less likely, reports that Liverpool are close to signing Belgian international Simon Mignolet from Sunderland have cranked up the rumour mill again.

Reina, currently in Brazil with the Spanish squad at the Confederations Cup, told AS that as far as he was concerned the situation had not changed, yet.

"The thing is very clear," he said. "I have a contract with Liverpool and, at the moment, there will be changes."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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