LFC Weekend Round Up (24 June 2007)

All eyes still on the Torres move, Rafa talks tough on Cisse and insists that Liverpool are busy in the transfer market.

United enter race for Torres?

According to some sections of the media, Manchester United want to wreck Liverpool’s hopes of landing Fernando Torres. Whether this is rumours from Atletico’s side to ensure Liverpool pay top whack, genuine United interest, media hype or a ruse from United remains to be seen.

Atletico appear to be still haggling over the details, after the reds added Luis Garcia in to the equation.

The majority of the media has swung back round to back Liverpool as the favourites, as this is believed to be the player’s preference.

If the deal goes through it will certainly smash Liverpool’s previous record transfer fee of £14 million on Djibril Cisse, another player mentioned as a potential bargaining chip in the move.

Djibril CisseRafa talks tough to Marseille

Staying with Cisse, and it had appeared that Liverpool were going to allow Marseille the right to take Djib on another season’s loan with an option to purchase at the end.  How much knowledge Benitez had about this is questionable as he is furious that Marseille appear to be getting another season out of him on the cheap.  With Man City’s new regime believed to be very interested in the player, Rafa feels he can settle Djibril’s career once and for all this summer.

“The situation with Cisse is clear,” Benitez told the club’s official website. “If another club wants him, they must buy the player.

“We do not want another loan.”

The club will listen to offers at around £8 million.

Newcastle over-charge on Owen

As mentioned before, Michael Owen is still highly thought of by the Liverpool board, but not by the reds boss.  Speculation about a swap deal for Owen, with Bellamy AND Riise going the other way have been scuppered by Rafa. According to the Sunday Express, Benitez stepped in to put an immediate halt on the deal. Michael Owen has a £9 million release clause. It’s our opinion that both Bellamy and Riise could probably claim that kind of transfer fee each.

Carson to Black Cats

Roy Keane’s newly promoted Sunderland have entered the race to sign Scott Carson. Carson has been overshadowed at Liverpool due to the arrival of Pepe Reina, and is deserving of first team Premiership football.  Liverpool look unlikely to keep hold of the player, and with Reina signing a new five year contract, the Mackem’s have joined a long list of Premiership clubs chasing Carson’s signature.

Let’s hope the reds get a decent price for a player who could be England’s national keeper for a long time to come.

Benitez insists no problems, yet

Rafa has also spoken out to halt the criticism’s of the Anfield board. There have been suggestions every day that Benitez’ is not being backed in the transfer market and is considering leaving. The gaffer actually said,

“We have a number of targets, and I am receiving interesting phone calls all the time. We are monitoring situations all the time and there is no urgency yet.”

“If we bring in players from Spain, they only finished playing a week ago so they will need a longer break, but I would like somebody in before we start pre-season training.”

Hopefully, next week should see more transfers both in and out being concluded as the pre-season approaches on the horizon.

14 comments on
LFC Weekend Round Up (24 June 2007)

  1. Rafa is the best manager in europe right now at least in my opinion that’s why madrid wants to sign him .
    we must bring a whole bunch of stars to the club and he can do it but he needs time and…..money

  2. i just hope the new owners back rafa thought what he said after athens was spot on he knows footballs changed snd unless we spend 60 to 70 million on people that can change games instesd of squad players we will always be NEARLY MEN.bring in torres;alves;malouda keep kewell fully fit and we will be very very close.

  3. only reason not to buy torres is that he can do the morientes. saviola is a possibility as he is out of favour with barca. gudjohnsen is another possibility. maybe even a trade for bellamy

  4. i think we should defo buy torres. then i think we need a good left midfield player like mancini. if kewell stays fit i think he can be one of the best in the world, but it’s a BIG IF, and can we keep giving him chances? bench warmer maybe. i also think simao would be a good edition and one more centre back to cover agger,carra. i also think that veronin given a chance will surprise a few people.

  5. Patience is whats required
    All Liverpool fans are anxious at present with transfer talk
    i do believe that for us to challenge for the premiership next term we need to bring in emerging but established talent
    liverpool have a pass and move game so its important we bring in the right players to continue with the anfield ethos
    fans surely would rather see rafa sign no one than panic into buying for the sake of it
    we have a great nucleaus in reina carra agger gerrard mascherano alonso and kuyt which are all here for the long term
    i have long admired daniel alves and torres and feel they would fit in nicely but its a money game
    lennon of spurs has been mentioned on the forum and is a good call as the premiership is all about pace
    only time will tell trust rafa im sure he will deliver

  6. Owen was a great player 4 us but he,s not the owen of old he,s lost his pace and sharpness Lets go forward not backwards torres is fresh and exciting.cisse never had the patience to settle in just like annelka did. Long live Rafa the real special one .

  7. Oh sure, let’s get rid of Rafa (best manager we have had since Paisley) and bring back Owen (who chose to leave Liverpool in the lurch three years ago and who has played almost no football in 18 months) so that we can put the club back years to the days when we played boring football down the middle into brick wall defences most of the time! WAKE UP!!!

    Rafa will get the people he needs, Torres will be a fantastic addition to our squad and I reckon we are hot faves to get him. We have as good a set of midfield players as any team in Europe (see how easily you can match Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Sissoko, Pennant, etc) and Kuyt will be stronger in his 2nd season in English football so our striekforce with torres added will score a lot more goals. Our defence is already one of the best, just look at our goals against column!

    With a couple of other signings before pre-season Rafa will mould them into a formidable unit that will give Man U and CSKA London a run for their money all the way.

  8. With regards your comments relating to carson. rafa stated last week that Carson would be returning to lfc and challenging reina for the number 1 position, that says he is not for sale, so sunderland can make as many offers as they like, he’s staying put.

  9. Looks like Liverpool will be fighting for 4th place again, if they are lucky. If i was Rafa i would be Madrid bound. Might get some money to spend there. Lets get rid of him and bring back Owen.

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