News here is the transfer is confirmed and he is travelling to get his medical and personal terms agreed. Definitely moving to Liverpool for 12M euros. At the prices the market is dealing with it's a good deal for both sides. He is not in a million years twice the player Phil Jones is, but not half the player either.
Will be good for them, much better than the dross they have. As far as assessments go, the twitter ones are too negative and the other guy is too gung-ho. Some truth in both.
Lugano was a perfect partner for him at Copa America (but saying Lugano made him look good is like saying Rio makes Vidic look good and viceversa) and he has been an absolute monster for Nacional (but then, the league standard is nothing to write home about).
It is correct to say that he is less imposing than his size would suggest. It is also correct that he is not an all-action charismatic leader of men. He is calm, but assured. He steps up to a challenge and takes responsibility for trying to turn a game around, but you won't see him haranging and/or berating others. He is the sort who owns up when he fucks up rather than point the finger elsewhere. Overall, a really good character, and one that will always inspire affection/admiration/loyalty.
He didn't for one minute cause any problems asking for a move to take advantage of his "moment", he knows it's not a blip. He rejected Dnipro despite them offering him significantly better wages than Pool, he knows what he wants. In the midst of the transfer going ons, his manager asked him to play this weekend despite just having arrived from his break and having no obligation to put himself at risk (the board actually didn't want him to play); he played.
Just seen him interviewed, he says he got better offers but he preferred the EPL and Liverpool being a club with such rich history, etc. He didn't try to make it sound like they were the best team in the world, not at all, just a team with a significant tradition and fanbase which commands respect, but it was clear he is aware there are big challenges ahead to align the current reality and the history. He mentioned Suarez being constantly in touch with him...
Bollocks, I'm going to be in two minds about Liverpool now. Suarez was bad enough, now this kid. Even if I'm a Peñarol fan and by definition shouldn't like Nacional players... Hope they do well, Suarez scores, Coates gets MOTM, but Pool just about manage to draw all games
On other Uruguay news: Forlan off to Inter, sorting personal terms tomorrow, 5M euros, not bad. Lugano off to Juventus, taking a paycut in the process but wanted one final shot at playing for a big team (apparently Chelsea bid but he didn't expect to get any games). Pereira to Chelsea the only one not done and dusted yet.
