Liverpool new boy Adrian must be living the dream at the moment. The Spaniard had no club to train with all summer after being released by West Ham, finding himself training at his local semi-professional club in Spain.
With just less than a week left of the summer transfer window, the Reds were in the market for a second-choice goalkeeper, after allowing Simon Mignolet to join Club Brugge.
Adrian swiftly replaced the Belgian and ticked all of the boxes of a backup goalkeeper – he had experience in the Premier League and would be a strong mentor to some of the younger players.
Nobody thought the 32-year-old would be a prominent figure so early this season, but Alisson’s injury put paid to that.
He has impressed since, proving to be the penalty hero in the UEFA Super Cup and making some big saves in the league.
According to Football Insider, many of the staff at Liverpool believe they have made the ‘signing of the summer’ in Adrian, due to the club having to pay no transfer fee and the former West Ham stopper having a basic wage of £50,000 a week.
Read Liverpool Verdict
Most Liverpool fans now absolutely love Adrian, and rightly so.
It’s always going to be hard to replace Alisson, but the Spaniard has barely put a foot wrong and it’s brilliant to see how much he is enjoying life at Anfield. He probably still pinches himself every morning.
Wanting Alisson back in the side is nothing against Adrian and he deserves huge praise for the manner in which he has adapted to his new surroundings.
It’s clear to see that when he has the ball the centre-backs are now comfortable enough to go wide and split – something we didn’t say at the start of the season, because the trust was not there.
It was shrewd piece of business by the Reds and everyone involved in the deal.
When you weigh everything up – fee, wages and performances – Adrian is one of the signings of the summer.
