Raul Jimenez – all you need to know about the Benfica star who Liverpool and Everton are both lining up
The 26-year-old is the middle-man in a Merseyside tug of war following his fine form in Portugal
LIVERPOOL and Everton have always had plenty in common and plenty to separate them. Now the two Merseyside giants are going head-to-head once more to sign Benfica forward Raul Jimenez.
After a season out of Europe Jurgen Klopp’s side are two positive results away from returning to the Champions League next term.
Everton, meanwhile, clinched Europa League football under Ronald Koeman and have been active in the transfer market already, signing Davy Klaassen, Jordan Pickford, Henry Onyekuru, Sandro Ramirez and Michael Keane.
The two sides are both chasing Jimenez who scored seven Liga Nos goals in just six starts last term. Our friends at Football Whispers profile the Everton and Liverpool transfer target.
Who is Raul Jimenez and where does he come from?
Given he has only scored 17 league goals in the last three seasons it might be a surprise Jimenez is so highly sought after and commanding such a large transfer fee.
But the 26-year-old Mexican international has not been a regular since moving to Europe from MX League side America in 2015.
He joined Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side after hitting 30 league goals in his final two seasons in South America.
That was enough to persuade Atleti to part with €11m to sign Jimenez. But the Tepeji-born forward could not get in the side ahead of Antoine Griezmann, Mario Mandzukic and Fernando Torres.
Still, Simeone was impressed by the forward’s attitude even though he was only able to score once in four La Liga starts.
“The boy hasn’t been seen even for one day with a long face or poor predisposition,” said El Cholo.
“He’s competing with footballers that have been at the club years, like [Fernando] Torres, who has come in but knows the place, and with Mandzukic, a key player for us.”
Unsurprisingly, Jimenez left Atleti after a single season with Benfica paying €9.8m for 50 per cent of his economic rights.
He might have moved to the Premier League that summer but missed the chance to join West Ham on loan after falling asleep and failing to catch his flight to England.
Twelve goals in all competitions were enough to persuade the Portuguese side to buy the remaining 50 per cent for €12m with various add-ons taking the whole deal to €22m, making Jimenez the most expensive player in Portuguese league history and the most-expensive Mexican ever.
Injuries restricted him to just six Liga Nos starts last term but he bagged seven goals while doing the domestic double.
So why do Premier League clubs want him? The simple answer is he is a lethal finisher. Jimenez took just 30 shots in Liga Nos last season and scored seven goals – one every 4.2 shots. Furthermore, 53 per cent of his effort were on target (16).
He is quick, aggressive and determined – all traits which bode well if he is to move to England.
"The Premier League is a great league, but you have to wait,” Jimenez said earlier this year.
"I don't close any doors and we'll see what happens. I'm still at Benfica. Now, I'm going to have a good vacation then go back to work with everything.
“I saw the [transfer rumour] came out but I don't know anything. I was concentrating on the national team. I have a date to return to Benfica, to join the pre-season games and I'm in the club's hands.”
How much will he cost?
Liverpool and Everton have both bid £39m for Jimenez but reports in Portugal suggest the two clubs will have to reach £44m to make a deal happen.
Given Everton’s new-found spending power under Farhad Moshiri that should not be a problem.
For the first time in a long time the Toffees are on a similar footing to their rivals from the red half of Liverpool and have shown it with a summer splurge of more than £85m.
What is his most likely destination this summer?
One way or another the forward, who won gold with Mexico at the 2012 Olympics in London, looks destined to end up on Merseyside.
Liverpool have made a £39m bid for Jimenez while Everton have joined the race for the Benfica forward.
West Ham are also believed to have rekindled their interest in the striker who was subject of interest from the Chinese Super League in January. But Liverpool and Everton are the frontrunners.