Summer Transfer Window 2014

[barticus]

Anyone see the fact that Barcelona agreed to get suarez before the world cup?
So methinks the bite was too prompt a move...yet again...

[Tes]

Anyone see the fact that Barcelona agreed to get suarez before the world cup?
So methinks the bite was too prompt a move...yet again...

It's what Óscar Tabárez was talking about. It was probably agreed last Summer that he would be allowed to leave if Barca showed interest, and the new contract was to set a fee in stone so there'd be no repeat of last Summer's can he leave/can't he leave for £40M + £1.

As his agent is Pepe Guardiola's brother Pere, you'd imagine he's hardly a stranger to the Nou Camp hierachy and they've been fed blow by blow since last Summer.

The 'apology' was accepted very quickly and readily by those at the Nou Camp. All went nicely to plan.

[Tes]

Sunderland's Fabio Borini deal has stalled as Italian hopes to save Liverpool career, admits Gus Poyet

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/sunderlands-fabio-borini-deal-stalled-4023997#.U-TEjqNCx74

It must be something Rodgers has or hasn't said to him that makes him think he has any chance of "saving" his Liverpool career.

I wonder if Rodgers has been ambiguous in his dealings with him, as he certainly hasn't been treated like and had it spelt out for him "Reina style".

Pack all his stuff into black bags and have security give it him when he reports to Melwood next. 

" He would prefer to play in a side more likely to push for honours in the Champions' League, but could yet find that Sunderland is his best option. "
If he's not going to get any playing time with us (if indeed that is the case), and as no other team appears to have inquired about him, then he won't be playing CL football and playing in a team 'pushing for Europe' anyway, and there's no guarantee that Sunderland, with a full season of Poyet, will be fighting relegation anyway.

Maybe he thinks the longer we go without getting another striker in then Rodgers will have 'no choice' but to utilise him. Ward and Jones shouldn't have been utilised ahead of Reina, but were on the US tour, or maybe being one his signings, Rodgers doesn't see fit to treat him in the same way as players that 'aren't his'.

If he refuses to go he'll put himself under huge pressure and had better somehow turn into a "1 in 2" striker, otherwise he could be risking the displeasure of the Anfield crowd.

Likewise Assaidi. Stoke have agreed a fee with us, though the amount differs depending where you read it, but it seems that Assaidi is holding out for an unreasonable level of salary.

Surely £20K/£30K a week is enough to keep the wolf from the door, the lights on and the cupboards reasonably well stocked.     

[Edward224]

If we don't sign another forward then we need to keep Borini imo.

[Tes]

If we don't sign another forward then we need to keep Borini imo.

Desperate times call for desperate.........etc etc

Edward, what's your money on re the Remy 'medical' failure. Owners overruling the manager?

[Edward224]

Owners didn't overrule Rodgers. If anything Rodgers overruled them!!! I jest 

It was joint decision between the board and Rodgers. If Rodgers really and truly wanted Remy  THAT much he'd have took the risk. But he didn't.

I don't know what the risk would have been so don't to ask me!

[Tes]

Owners didn't overrule Rodgers. If anything Rodgers overruled them!!! I jest 

It was joint decision between the board and Rodgers. If Rodgers really and truly wanted Remy  THAT much he'd have took the risk. But he didn't.

I don't know what the risk would have been so don't to ask me!

FSG have history or renegotiating a contract when medical issues arise. Obviously Rodgers knew of Remy's heart condition, Ayre, I wouldn't put money on it and I somehow doubt the owners would initially.

It wouldn't surprise me if they tried, or wanted to at least, renegotiate the contract offer in some way - shorten it, offer a lower basic and load it up with bigger appearance bonuses etc.

There has to be a big difference between Remy's heart at 24 and at 32/33, or the effects it could have.

Either that or there's a nagging concern over his overall fitness or ability to avoid minor niggles becoming more serious. He missed 17 games last season for Newcastle, including the last one of the season against us, and he seems to pick up calf and ankle problems. He was out for the start of last season with Newcastle, all of August, then again March to April, allegedly with either a recurrence or re-injury of the August one and then the last game of the season.

My money would be on the owners' unease over his heart as Rodgers seemed to choose his words very carefully, but quite specifically as well: "We have made a decision, as a club, not to go ahead with the deal". The club have made no 'official' mention of failed medicals, but neither have they done anything to deny what's been reported. It's as though the media have given them a convenient reason to shelter behind.

The original reason for the delay was a hold up with paperwork, indeed, the owners had yet to sign off on the deal once his heart condition became known to them.
All the reports had him passing a medical, for example:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/loic-remys-protracted-liverpool-transfer-3916218#.U-VQI6NCx74

"Remy passed a medical in Boston on Wednesday and has agreed a four-year deal worth around £80,000-per-week.

http://talksport.com/football/remy-update-qpr-strikers-move-liverpool-delayed-claims-pearce-140724103531

Interview with Echo's James Pearce who was out in America with the team. Interestingly, it's quite guarded, almost skips the subject.

It's just a real shame it didn't happen, for whatever reason, at least from a footballing perspective.



 

[Tes]

Today it's:

Liverpool clear to sign £24million Keita Balde Diao after opening Lazio transfer talks

http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/09/liverpool-clear-to-sign-24million-keita-balde-diao-after-opening-lazio-transfer-talks-4826716/

Young, overpriced, just how we like 'em. 

Whilst yesterday, it was:

Liverpool clear to complete Ezequiel Lavezzi transfer as PSG force him out

http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/08/liverpool-clear-to-complete-ezequiel-lavezzi-transfer-as-psg-force-him-out-4826364/

Older, overpriced, not to FSG's preferred model.

If we must go for someone like Lavezzi, then Eduardo Vargas of Napoli would be an equally impotent choice but for half the price.

Vargas - La Liga - 17 games 3 goals, 1 assist, UEFA Cup 8 matches, 2 goals, 3 assists.
Lavezzi - Ligue 1 - 32 games 9 goals, 3 assists, CL 10 matches, 2 goals, 4 assists

Just sign Marco Reus, and we'll have the choice of Sturridge, Lambert, "false 9" or pushing Sterling further forward. Better still, put Stevie up there, where his 'slips' and reduced mobility will be less of a problem. 

[Tes]

Trabzonspor agree terms with Liverpool defender Kolo Toure

http://www.turkish-football.com/news_read.php?id=6301


So now we keep Agger, and he's given the same 'clean slate' opportunity that Skrtel had last season after his poor 2012/13.

Two right footers, two left footers, good blend of youth, experience and styles amongst our centre halves, and Ilori can go on loan to Dortmund for two seasons (hopefully that will be long enough for Rodgers to see through Skrtel) as part of the Reus deal, to replace Hummels.

Now we need a proper right back, a Glenn Johnson leaving party, a goalkeeper who can distribute, play as a sweeper, command his area and organise his defence, Remy and a pacemaker or Marco Reus (who we can tap up talk to tomorrow, like Wenger did to Sanchez at the World Cup allegedly, Didi Hamann better be at Anfield tomorrow), Alex Song if Lucas Leivas (read it out loud, it nearly works) and we should be ready to make an all out assault on the League Cup and further our record as the most successful team in that competition (the PL is for the Sky Sports generation, and the trophy is too ugly to be seen in our trophy cabinet) or if we're really lucky, the FA Cup, the most beautiful and historic of all trophies on offer to us next season.

[Tes]

Albion linked with Liverpool prospect

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/albion/11401076._/


Good move. Let's hope Sami can improve him defensively and prepare him to challenge for a first team squad place for next season.

[Edward224]

Kolo is staying and Agger is going. Rodgers values Kolo's leadership in the dressing room and overall mentality. Unless Kolo is desperate to leave for first team football then he is staying.

I think the links to Diao and Lavezzi are tenious at best.

Oh and Eduardo Vargas would not and will not go for half the price of Lavezzi or Diao. If anything he'd be more expensive. But I like him as a player though. Can't comment on Diao haven't seen enough of him.

What do you think of Lucas Moura? I don't know anything but Tim Vickery said we were lining up a big name signing which he heard from one of his south american agents he knows and Lavezzi, Moura etc are players that could be available in that region.

[Edward224]

All the papers saying we are in talks with Eto'o!

I'd be down with that for a six months - a year.

[Tes]

Kolo is staying and Agger is going. Rodgers values Kolo's leadership in the dressing room and overall mentality. Unless Kolo is desperate to leave for first team football then he is staying.

I think the links to Diao and Lavezzi are tenious at best.

Oh and Eduardo Vargas would not and will not go for half the price of Lavezzi or Diao. If anything he'd be more expensive. But I like him as a player though. Can't comment on Diao haven't seen enough of him.

What do you think of Lucas Moura? I don't know anything but Tim Vickery said we were lining up a big name signing which he heard from one of his south american agents he knows and Lavezzi, Moura etc are players that could be available in that region.

Kolo not off to Turkey then?

Hopefully you're right about Diao (shudders at that name) and Lavezzi, who seems like he may be signing a new contract, which seems strange when the media was telling us last week that PSG were desperate to offload.

Are PSG looking to offload Moura? With 3 years left on his contract he wouldn't be cheap. As a player I've never really been that impressed when I've seen him. He seems a touch inconsistent and I wonder how he'd fair in the PL. When I've seen him play his work rate hasn't always been what it could be and whilst his goal scoring record isn't great, he's got a decent assist record. I just don't think he'd be worth what we were expected to pay.

[Tes]

Liverpool keen on Southampton, Arsenal and Man Utd target Marcos Rojo after Moreno snub

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/498229/Liverpool-keen-on-Southampton-Arsenal-and-Man-Utd-target-Marcos-Rojo-after-Moreno-snub

Not sure about him. I wasn't as impressed with him during the World Cup as most people appear to have been.

His disciplinary record is poor and Sporting aren't always the easiest to deal with either.

For a position where we are chronically lacking, to be less than a week away from the PL season starting and to be without a new left back is rather disappointing.

Moreno, Bertrand, Davies? Rojo appears to be the only options we've considered.

I wonder if there's any chance of prising Clichy away from the Etihad for guaranteed 1st team football.

[Tes]

Kolo Toure close to Liverpool exit as Trabzonspor target £1.5m deal for defender

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2722348/Kolo-Toure-close-Liverpool-exit-Trabzonspor-target-1-5m-deal-defender.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

Apparently Coates has been offered to Sampdoria and Ilori looks to be heading to Bordeaux on loan for the season.

So will Agger still be allowed to leave if all three of those centre backs depart?