[b]Liverpool face the possibility of losing one of either Daniel Agger or Martin Skrtel this summer, though planning for a period of strengthening. With Barcelona interested in the Dane and Skrtel linked to Rafa Benitez's Napoli. Following the retirement of Jamie Carragher at the end of last season, Kop boss Brendan Rodgers has reportedly been mulling over a number of potential targets, but he could be forced to recruit further defensive reinforcements should either Agger or Skrtel also depart this summer.

Skrtel's role at Anfield has been called into question after a poor season, with the Slovakian falling out of favour with Brendan Rodgers, losing his place in the starting XI to Carragher. However, perhaps more worrying for club is the speculation surrounding Agger's future, with the Danish international recently linked with a surprise move to Barcelona, following Liverpool academy chief Rodolfo Borrell's assertion that Agger would be the "perfect fit" for the Spanish giants. However, with the pair potentially facing the exit, which one would be the bigger loss for Liverpool?

As can be seen from the statistics above, Martin Skrtel has regressed somewhat following his performance in the 2011/12 campaign that saw him crowned Liverpool's Player of the Year. It must be noted that the Slovakian's statistics from last season came largely from the first half of the campaign, with Skrtel making just five appearances for the Reds since the end of January. His performance throughout the 2011/12 season surpassed Agger in pretty much every aspect. However, under Brendan Rodgers, Skrtel has appeared to struggle, and while the physical aspects of his game remain impressive, his overall defensive game has suffered through trying to adapt to Rodgers' style.

That change of style seems to have played into the hands of Agger, who has re-established himself as a regular under Rodgers. Perhaps the biggest change in his game from a statistical point of view has been through passing. The Dane saw a lot more of the ball in the 2012/13 season – as can be seen though his passing stats. Over the past year Agger has developed into much more than just a defender for Liverpool and based on these figures alone, it appears as though he would be a bigger loss for the Reds than Skrtel.

http://www.livesporteventnews.com/2013/06/liverpool-face-possibility-oflosing-one.html


[/b]