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Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has been charged by the FA for allegedly breaching betting rules, and in the confusion over whether he will be banned, the Reds should refuse him a new contract and use the opportunity to sign Ciro Immobile.

What's the situation?

A Liverpool spokesman (via BBC Sport) said that Sturridge had "stated categorically that he has never gambled on football" in response to the allegations, but footballers are also banned from providing information to others that may enable them to place a bet.

With the exact situation still unknown, we cannot speculate what the punishment could be if Sturridge is found guilty. However, it could range from the £22,000 fine that former Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis received in May 2016 to the 18-month ban that Joey Barton was handed in 2017.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge in action vs Red Star Belgrade

With this in mind, and the fact that Sturridge's contract is up at the end of the season, the Reds should now be thinking about signing a new striker in January to compete with Roberto Firmino, who has struggled at times at the start of this season.

Guaranteed goals

Firmino's four goals and two assists wouldn't suggest that anything drastic is wrong with the Brazilian but he has been less involved in Liverpool's attacking play than he was last year. Klopp has also recently switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation with Firmino playing as a number nine, but Salah has played in the central striker role rather than Sturridge.

Immobile then could be the perfect striker to play in that formation. The 28-year-old Lazio man already has nine goals and five assists in 16 games this season after netting 41 in 47 games in the last campaign, and he has 76 goals in 104 appearances for the Rome outfit in total.

Valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, it would surely take a huge fee to convince Lazio to part with the Italian international, but he could be the man to turn around the fortunes of the slightly faltering Liverpool attack and there is no doubt that he would be more effective than Sturridge.

So, Liverpool fans, would you support a move for Immobile or would you like to see the club back Sturridge? Have your say by voting in the poll below.