The quality Daniel Sturridge possesses is undoubted, but his injury record is always what has hindered him. The former Liverpool forward, who was released by the Reds this summer after joining in 2012, is still without a club even as most leagues across Europe are beginning. Sky Sports reported recently that many clubs from abroad were in pursuit of Sturridge, but interest from closer to home has been minimal. However, English clubs shouldn’t be put off by his dismal injury record and should instead take a risk in signing him.
English Sides Should be Looking at Daniel Sturridge
Foreign Interest
According to Sky Sports’ report, Turkish sides Trabzonspor and Besiktas are the latest to show a legitimate interest in bringing Sturridge to their club. He wouldn’t be the first Englishman to play for either side, with Les Ferdinand spending a season at Besiktas in the late 80’s while Kevin Campbell followed suit ten years later at Trabzonspor.
A move to Besiktas would guarantee European football this season with their participation in the Europa League, while Trabzonspor are currently going through the qualifying stages of the same competition. Signing for the latter could be a big boost to their appeal.
They’re not the only sides showing an interest, though, according to Sky Sports. Sky in Germany say Eintracht Frankfurt have made contact with the striker, while Sky in Italy report that Atalanta have targeted the 29-year-old.
Frankfurt are in need of reinforcements up front after selling Luka Jovic to Real Madrid and Sebastien Haller to West Ham United, so a move to the Bundesliga certainly makes sense. Atalanta, meanwhile, are competing in the Champions League this season and will require players with experience of the competition. Sturridge can certainly provide that having won it last season and reached the final the year before.
Why Not England?
Despite all the foreign interest, Daniel Sturridge still has the ability to perform at the top level in England. However, teams closer to home will know all about his poor injury record, and that’s probably what is stopping teams from making the move.
While clubs shouldn’t completely look past that issue, because there’s no doubt it has been detrimental to the overall success of Sturridge’s career, they should pay closer attention to what he can bring. He has played for three of the so-called top six sides, having started out at Manchester City before moving to Chelsea. He has also been part of some of the most successful Liverpool sides in the Premier League era and, if given the right assistance up-front, he can form deadly partnerships, as seen with the damage he and Luis Suarez created in 2013/14.
It’s unlikely he would get into another top-six side, but those teams in the mix to be the ‘best of the rest’ could do a lot worse than bringing him in, even as just an able back-up. Depending on the wage cut the striker is willing to take, those fighting it out at the bottom of the table may also consider taking a punt.
A Big Move
Wherever Sturridge decided to go next, he has to make sure it’s the right move. Get this wrong, and he’ll more than likely go down as yet another English flop that had all the potential in the world.
Get it right, though, and he still has enough years left in his career to reignite the fire that burnt so brightly earlier this decade.
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