Liverpool Consider Milan Right Back To Replace Glen Johnson

Liverpool are looking at the possibility of signing Milan right back Ignazio Abate as the replacement for Glen Johnson. Johnson is yet to be offered a new contract by Liverpool and will be a free agent next summer as his current contract runs out in June 2015.

Liverpool signed Atletico Madrid right back Javier Manquillo on a 2-year loan period and have the option of buying him on a permanent deal. The move signalled the end of Johnson’s career at Liverpool as he hasn’t been performing well for the side. The 30-year old is a high earner at the club with wages of £100,000-a-week since joining from Portsmouth in 2009 for £17.5m. According to reports, the England international was linked with a move to Juventus in Serie A.

Milan’s Ignazio Abate is in a similar situation as his contract runs out in the next summer as well. As reported by the Mirror, Abate failed to agree a new contract at Milan and could be sold for a low fee in the winter transfer window as Milan will not want to lose him for nothing after his contract expires in June.

Abate has been at Milan since 2003, but had loan spells with five different clubs before settling in 2009. Since then, he has been a regular at the right back position. The Italian is a hard tackling full back who loves driving forward, just like Johnson. The Italian international is arguably a better defender than Johnson; a fact that could work against Johnson’s favour.

He recently revealed that if given the option he will stay in Milan but at the same time he won’t rule out a move,

“My priority is Milan. I want to stay here and finish my career. I couldn’t see myself in another shirt, at least not in Italy. At most I’d go abroad.

“I’ll stay here as long as I can. This is my home, although I know in football you can always be moved on.

“But the time to say goodbye hasn’t come. I still get excited when I walk into Milanello,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.