Bacca: Agent confirms Liverpool FC interest in £21million striker
Reds must decide whether to trigger Colombian's release clause
Sevilla's Carlos Bacca celebrates after scoring against Zenit St. Petersburg during their Europa League quarter final, first leg soccer match at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Picture Supplied by Action Images
Carlos Bacca is keen to resolve his future after his agent confirmed that
Liverpool have made contact about a potential £21.3million move to Anfield.
The Reds are still considering whether to firm up their interest in the Sevilla striker, who is viewed as an alternative target to Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke.
Liverpool are refusing to meet Villa’s £32.5million asking price for Benteke and that has led them to enquire about the availability of both Bacca and Zenit St Petersburg frontman Salomon Rondon.
Bacca, who plundered 28 goals for the Spanish outfit last season, has a 30million euros (£21.3million) release clause in his contract. Sevilla, who don’t want to sell him, have made it clear they won’t accept a reduced fee.
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The 28-year-old’s agent Sergio Barila has indicated that the Colombian international, who is in Chile at the Copa America, would be prepared to move to Anfield but says another English club are also in the market for him. Barila has also met with officials from Milan and Roma.
“We have had lots of interest but so far there has been no official approach,” he said.
“I spoke with Carlos on Wednesday night and we agreed we need a real solution.
“Clubs are telling him not to sign anything until they have made an offer but we are still waiting.
“Liverpool and another English club are among those that have shown an interest but there are also clubs in Italy. What is clear is that they must meet the release clause but at this stage nobody has.
'Liverpool is on his list'
“Sevilla are a good team who will play in the Champions League next season so it wouldn’t be a disaster to stay. Carlos has other options to earn a lot of money in places like China or the United Arab Emirates but that would not fit in with what he is looking for.
“We are really looking at three things – number one is to have a happy family situation for his wife and son because he had a bad experience in Belgium. The second is to find a good team with a good project. Before he went to Chile, we wrote down a list of clubs that fit that description and Liverpool was on that list.
“The third question is the contract. He has a good salary in Sevilla but we know how much clubs in England can pay.”
Football - Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk v Sevilla - UEFA Europa League Final - National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland - 27/5/15 Carlos Bacca celebrates scoring the third goal for Sevilla Reuters / Kai Pfaffenbach
Sevilla sporting director Monchi has confirmed that they have yet to receive any offers for Bacca, who has three years remaining on his current deal.
“I hope no one pays his buy-out clause. It’s a risk we take but we can’t do anything about that,” he said.
“We gave him a new contract 10 months ago and I believe he and his family are very happy here. But I cannot predict the future.”
Bacca will miss Colombia’s Copa America quarter-final against Argentina on Friday night as he completes his two-match ban following his dismissal against Brazil earlier in the tournament.
He began his career with Atletico Junior in his homeland before moving to Europe when he signed for Belgian side Club Brugge in 2012.
An impressive haul of 28 goals led to him being named the Belgian League’s Player of the Year in 2013 and he was snapped up by Sevilla for 7million euros.
During his two seasons in Spain he has netted 49 goals in 108 appearances – including a match-winning double in last month’s Europa League final triumph over Dnipro in Warsaw.
