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Football

23rd Aug 2018

Liverpool flop Iago Aspas linked with shock move to Real Madrid

Who could have predicted this four years ago?

Darragh Murphy

The Spaniard is almost exclusively remembered by Liverpool supporters for his atrocious corner kick on April 27, 2014.

Iago Aspas drilled the ball directly into the path of Willian on the very day that Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip put an end to Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge.

The Spanish striker didn’t last much longer on Merseyside as he was loaned out to Sevilla two months later for the season. In his time at Liverpool, Aspas scored just one goal in 15 appearances.

Aspas returned to boyhood club Celta Vigo the following summer and he’s been something of a revelation at the Estadio Municipal de Balaídos, scoring 67 goals in 126 games for Célticos this time around.

Having been called up to the Spain national team in recent years, Aspas’ career is right back on track and he could be set for the biggest move of his life as Real Madrid are keen on signing the 31-year-old this month.

Reports in Spain claim that new Real manager Julen Lopetegui, who gave Aspas his debut for Spain, is trying to persuade the club to part ways with €40 million in order to meet the forward’s release clause.

The Champions League holders had been linked with a move for Valencia’s Rodrigo Moreno, who has a release clause of €120 million, but Lopetegui sees Aspas as a cheaper alternative.

It remains unclear whether Real president Florentino Perez will green-light a deal for another forward at the Santiago Bernabeu but Lopetegui is clearly a fan of Aspas so watch this space.

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