Santa Cruz: Liverpool Move for Man City & Spurs ‘One Season Wonder’ Target
Press reports suggest that Liverpool have now joined the race for the signature of Blackburn’s £20m striker Roque Santa Cruz this summer alongside Man City and Tottenham. However after scoring just 4 League goals this season would this be too high a price for a striker who has really only enjoyed one prolific season in his entire career?
The 27-year-old enjoyed a superb first season in England following his bargain £3.8million move from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2007. Santa Cruz scored a superb 19 League goals in 37 appearances (36 starts) and is now recognised as one of the best strikers in the top division with at least 3 of the biggest Premier League clubs interested.
Santa Cruz may have enjoyed the most prolific season of his career in the last campaign; however his 19 League goal haul was the first time he’d ever scored double figures in the League in any season. In fact, his record in 8 seasons in Germany with Bayern is not that impressive at all.
He scored 31 goals in a total of 155 appearances, basically a record of 1 goal in every 5 League games. However, his chances at Bayern were limited by a number of top class international strikers that the current German champions have possessed over the year. Despite this, 2 goals in 26 League appearances (12 starts) in the 2006/07 season is hardly a good record. The 27-year-old’s highest League tally in Germany was 5 goals so it’s not surprising that Bayern let him leave.
Despite a poor record in Germany, Santa Cruz has a good international scoring rate of 20 goals in 64 appearances for Paraguay. He also made his debut for his nation at the tender age of just 17 in the Copa America. The tall target-man had a superb first season for Blackburn but when examining his career there surely must be doubts whether he is worth the £15-20m plus price tag currently being reported.
Whether the Paraguayan is a one season wonder in England remains to be seen but 4 goals in 17 League starts this season suggest a return to his less prolific scoring rate of old. Rafa Benitez may be wary of spending too much on a new striker after the failed move of Robbie Keane while Man City manager Mark Hughes hasn’t hidden his admiration for the Paraguayan. However, doubts remain as to whether Hughes will hang on to his job at Eastlands which may put the player off such a move. Tottenham’s interest is surprising with a variety of top class forwards at the club but with Darren Bent seemingly on his way and Roman Pavlyuchenko unsure of his future then the arrival of Santa Cruz would enable Harry to play a big targetman with one of his smaller strikers.
Roque Santa Cruz is sure to leave whether Rovers are relegated or not but whether he can recapture his form of 2007/08 remains to be seen.
Do Blackburn fans rate him as high as the price tag he will demand? Has he not lived up to his form of last season? Would a huge profit for a striker with a pretty poor overall track record be good business for the club? Let’s hear your views.
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