Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has helped explain a little more about the club’s new £18million signing Alberto Aquilani.
Unknown to many Reds supporters before his big money move from Roma this summer, Aquilani is a different type of player to Xabi Alonso. Or so says Benitez.
He told reporters at Melwood this morning, “Xabi is a holding midfielder that can play long. Aquilani is a player with more mobility, playing a little bit higher. He can pass the ball and keep getting into the box.”
The Italian international won’t be in action for the Reds until the end of September as he continues to recover from an ankle injury, but Benitez belives Aquilani’s versatility will help him slot right into the heart of the Reds midfield.
He continued, “We have Mascherano and Lucas Leiva both playing really well, with Gerrard in front. He can play instead of any of them.
“He can play as second striker if necessary, but his best position will be between Gerrard and Mascherano – or between Lucas and Gerrard.”
To easy fears than Aquilani will be another injury-prone signing, Benitez said that the player and the club are working hard to heal his history of injury problems.
“We knew that he had some problems,” Benitez added. “We think that we can improve him and keep him fit. We are 100 per cent confident he will be okay.
“Since the first day he was here with the physios, he was in the gym and the swimming pool, training and working really hard to be fit as soon as possible.”
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