Liverpool Signings and General Rumours Thread

The Muppet

Benitez gambles Liverpool budget on Eto'o

By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent

Published: 02 June 2007



Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, is willing to gamble all the transfer funds made available to him by the club's new American owners on a bid for Samuel Eto'o that could reach as much as £35m. The summer scramble for the Barcelona forward's signature is likely to include Manchester United as well but Benitez wants to strike early to get his target.
Benitez's comments in the wake of the European Cup final defeat last week caused considerable disquiet at Liverpool and his thinly veiled attack on the chief executive, Rick Parry, upset the new American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks. They spoke to the manager eight days ago in a conference call from the United States in which Benitez emphasised his desire for the club to move quickly on summer signings.
The criticisms of the club by Benitez were not lost on the Americans, who were persuaded by Parry that they should stick by their manager despite his words. At the time it was felt that Benitez had gone too far in criticising the club publicly. However, in the next week he is expected to test their pledges to back him with money by asking them to put together a bid for Eto'o.
Since that last conversation between the four men, Benitez has publicly endorsed his chief executive but a move for Eto'o would be a further test of Liverpool's resolve to sign the very best players in the world. Benitez said this week that he and Parry had "worked together" to sign the Hungarian teenagers Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon as a sign there was no problem between him and his chief executive. It was Parry, after all, who defended Benitez when the Americans took exception to his comments after the 2-1 defeat against Milan in the European Cup final.
Having seen Manchester United sign up Nani and Anderson this week from Sporting Lisbon and Porto respectively with the minimum of fuss, the pressure is back on Liverpool to see whether they can do the same for their manager. Parry is still in sole charge of transfers until Foster Gillett, son of George, gets his Home Office work permit in August.
Dealing with the various parties claiming to represent the Cameroonian will be a job for a real football operator, especially with Barcelona in no rush to sell. Eto'o has a contract at the club until 2010 and would almost certainly have come to Arsenal last summer had Thierry Henry gone in the opposite direction.
Benitez tried to buy Eto'o from Real Madrid when Michael Owen moved there in 2004 and wants every effort made to sign the player early so, if his offer is rejected, he can at least turn his attention to other targets on his list.
It is still unclear exactly how much money will be put at the Liverpool manager's disposal next season. He has already replaced Robbie Fowler with the Bayer Leverkusen striker Andrei Voronin, a Bosman free transfer. Craig Bellamy has made clear his intention to leave, with Blackburn, Aston Villa, West Ham and even another of his former clubs, Newcastle, signalling their interest. Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch, set to be rewarded with a new contract this summer, will stay.
The Lyon left-winger Florent Malouda will cost between £8m and £10m. With Bolo Zenden released and Mark Gonzalez close to signing for Real Betis, Benitez's second priority after Eto'o will be two wide players as competition for Harry Kewell and Jermaine Pennant. With one year left on his contract, Kewell would be permitted to leave if a reasonable offer was made - Tottenham Hotspur are interested.
Something of a novelty at English football clubs, a spending review by the American owners to scrutinise Benitez's transfer record at Liverpool, is to be carried out by an independent body, most likely an accountancy firm. The results are sure to have some bearing on the funds made available to him.

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premiership/article2606414.ece

I honestly believe Rafa is going to be in big trouble after this spending review . His comments about not getting the money to buy new players were clearly wrong and this review is going to show his transfer dealings in very poor light.

It appears to me that Rafa's time at Livepool is nearing an end.

mike65

We do have an appropiate thread for this sort of thing. In fact I think the above is in it.

I belive Rafa has spent a NET 15 million a year over the last three years.

Mike.

The Muppet

mike65 wrote:

We do have an appropiate thread for this sort of thing. In fact I think the above is in it.

I belive Rafa has spent a NET 15 million a year over the last three years.

Mike.

Is that the signing and rumour thread mike? . The article is neither a signing or a rumour but I,m sure it will be merged if appropriate.

It's around 100 million gross and the quality of a lot of the players purchased will surely be questioned. We'll just have to wait and see what happens .

copacetic

The Muppet wrote:

I honestly believe Rafa is going to be in big trouble after this spending review . His comments about not getting the money to buy new players were clearly wrong and this review is going to show his transfer dealings in very poor light.

It appears to me that Rafa's time at Livepool is nearing an end.

are you on drugs?

Stky10

The Muppet wrote:

It's around 100 million gross and the quality of a lot of the players purchased will surely be questioned. We'll just have to wait and see what happens .

Well its not a good sign that this review is going ahead. It looks to an outsider like a bit of a witch hunt.

Besides, of the players that he was responsible for signing and who have been since sold, only one (Morientes) was sold at a loss, and there is no denying that while he is a class player, he just couldn't hack it in the UK. Also, the squad is much stronger now than when he joined.

Tusky

Why would he be in trouble ? He has only spent around 40m over the last three years. Man Utd just spent around 50m in one day.

Chardee MacDennis

a review like that could take weeks. thats ridiculous...

also i am pretty sure he has spent more than 40m pounds.

Waster

Rafa's net spend is £44m for his first three seasons as far as I know.
Between Cisse, Gonzalez, Bellamy, Sissoko, Pongolle (sold £4m), we could make a few quid this summer.

PHB

Rafa's net spend since 2004 is 54 million.

Vokes

Lets call it £40mil.

Cisse (£14mil) was a Houllier player.

Tusky

PHB wrote:

Rafa's net spend since 2004 is 54 million.

No its not. Its 40-44m.

Daemonic

Whatever the total, the review seems a signal that the new owners have doubts about Rafa's transfer success and are wary of giving him the funds he wants. Why would anyone stay under those circumstances?

Tusky

Daemonic wrote:

Whatever the total, the review seems a signal that the new owners have doubts about Rafa's transfer success and are wary of giving him the funds he wants. Why would anyone stay under those circumstances?

I disagree. Buying Liverpool was a business move for them and it is a pretty reasonable thing to do before they hand over 30, 40 or 50 million or whatever.

Daemonic

I would have assumed they were aware of the spending required to bring the squad up to the standard required to challenge for the league when they were in negotiations to buy the club and a review of previous spending would have been completed as part of their checks on the clubs finances.
Just seems very odd that this review is happening so soon after they bought the club. Whats changed in that time?

4-age

Whenever I hear mancini or quaresma metioned i get really excited aout next season, Could you imange one of quaresmas curling crosses to crouch. But everything in the news the past few days has indicated we could have slim pickings. Here is a link for anone who isnt familliar with the outside of his foot:D

Tusky

4-age wrote:

Whenever I hear mancini or quaresma metioned i get really excited aout next season, Could you imange one of quaresmas curling crosses to crouch. But everything in the news the past few days has indicated we could have slim pickings. Here is a link for anone who isnt familliar with the outside of his foot:D

I would love to see either of those players at Anfield but Ive never seen us linked with them.

The Muppet

Daemonic wrote:

Whatever the total, the review seems a signal that the new owners have doubts about Rafa's transfer success and are wary of giving him the funds he wants. Why would anyone stay under those circumstances?

My thinking exactly and even if he does want to stay will the board want to keep him given that he has spent £100 on players with little sign of closing the gap on the teams above them.

His relationship with Parry is reported to have broken down and he publically criticised the board, other factors that are unlikely to work in his favour.

PHB

Fair enough, forgot Cisse was a Houllier player.

griffdaddy

Rafa's here for at least another season. I think people here are still getting caught up in the doom and gloom of the CL final. All our squad building preparations for going fine before the final, everyone here was excited about who we were gonna get, we were quoting reports of Rafa saying how happy he, his wife and his daughter were on Merseyside, we were quoting reports about how he told Real Madrid to shove it when they wanted to take him as manager. I just don't think Rafa is the kind of manager who would leave a club half-cocked, especially when he's had so much (relative) European success in the last 3 seasons. In addition to this, it's Parry who's on his way out, we're certain of that, I'm sure Rafa'd rather wait around till he's gone if he has a problem with him, rather than running off for no reason now.

The Muppet

SofaKing wrote:

Lets call it £40mil.



Cisse (£14mil) was a Houllier player.

What about Macherano? Is he included in the £40 million or is he still listed as a loan?

jesus_thats_gre

Apparently he is still on loan. Rumours that a fee of 10 mil has been agreed but no one is certain.

The Muppet

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

Apparently he is still on loan. Rumours that a fee of 10 mil has been agreed but no one is certain.

£10 million for Macherano appears on the cheap side to me but even if it is accurate it Brings the figure being discussed to £50 Million

el rabitos

The Muppet wrote:

£10 million for Macherano appears on the cheap side to me but even if it is accurate it Brings the figure being discussed to £50 Million

so from 100 million at the top of the page to 50 million. not bad.

50 million for

1 carling cup final
2 champions league finals (1 won),
1 fa cup
super cup
charity shield
2 3rd place finishes and 1 5th place finish

i'd call that progress with very limited resources.

this is an interesting read from paul tomkins, its a bit long, but worth the read.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/NG156087070603-0752.htm

The Muppet

el rabitos wrote:

so from 100 million at the top of the page to 50 million. not bad.

No we are talking about 2 different sums. He has spend around £100 million of Liverpools money on players and has recouped about £50 million through sales, leaving a £50 million net spend.

I wouldn't consider £100 million as limited resources.

Vokes

The Mascherano loan cost £1.5mil in itself.

And a permanent deal after 18months - could easily be more than £10mil though.

el rabitos

The Muppet wrote:

No we are talking about 2 different sums. He has spend around £100 million of Liverpools money on players and has recouped about £50 million through sales, leaving a £50 million net spend.

I wouldn't consider £100 million as limited resources.

of course its limited, he didnt have 100 million to spend, he had to sell players to fund his spending.

The Muppet

el rabitos wrote:

of course its limited, he didnt have 100 million to spend, he had to sell players to fund his spending.

Of course he had to sell players (like every other manager) but that doesn't alter the fact that he was given £100 million of club money to spend on players. Only Mourinho has spent more up to the end of last season.

el rabitos

The Muppet wrote:

Of course he had to sell players (like every other manager) but that doesn't alter the fact that he was given £100 million of club money to spend on players. Only Mourinho has spent more up to the end of last season.

it doesnt alter the fact that he's taken in 50 million of other clubs money either. so he's got a net spend of 50. not 100 million.

when mourinho arrived he didnt have to sell any players to supplement his spending.

to supplement the kind of spending he's done he'd have to have sold terry, lampard and nearly every other decent player there when he arrived.

RasTa

50 million for the champions league, the rest are all worthless.

The Muppet

RasTa wrote:

50 million for the champions league, the rest are all worthless.

He won the champions league in his first year , before most of his spending..

el rabitos

Tusky wrote:

The FA Cup is worthless ?

nah, only when liverpool, chelsea or arsenal win it

el rabitos

The Muppet wrote:

He won the champions league in his first year , before most of his spending..

his biggest transfer spend, 10.5 million on alonso was done pre winning the champions league

so was the 5 million (aprrox) signing of luis garcia, the amount spent on morientes was undisclosed afaik, he was also signed pre winning the champions league if u want to count him in, he cost 6 million if rumours are to be believed

~Rebel~

Daemonic wrote:

I would have assumed they were aware of the spending required to bring the squad up to the standard required to challenge for the league when they were in negotiations to buy the club and a review of previous spending would have been completed as part of their checks on the clubs finances.
Just seems very odd that this review is happening so soon after they bought the club. Whats changed in that time?

I dont think anything has changed in this time. The important thing to note is this has nothing to do with the money available, its about who's going to spend it. Rafa has never had this much control over transfers, Parry was the main man, but Rafa now is requesting more and more control over them. If promoting someone inside the club to a higher position of control in transfers its natural to do an check on his own dealings in transfers within the club to see if he's the man to spend. IMO its not a bad idea, how many managers have we seen waste massive budgets (Houllier).

I wouldnt have any worries for Rafa really. Im sure something like this would include the circumstances of each purchase, as well as other proposed purchases. Now given that very few of the purchases were Rafa's first choice, and given that some of the names we were linked with early on that Rafa wanted but the club could simply not afford, would have gone on (all things being equal) to have vastly increased in value, eg Villa from Zaragoza for only 8-10million, Alves for in or abouts 7mill, Eto'o from Real Madrid for Owen+money. Eto'o was already known quality but the others emerged after Rafa's purchase request as superstars. An enquiery like this would probably show had Rafa had the last word and a reasonably amount of funds, we'd have a great team without breaking the bank completely.

Waster

The Muppet wrote:

£10 million for Macherano appears on the cheap side to me but even if it is accurate it Brings the figure being discussed to £50 Million

Mascherano is 6 months into his 18month loan deal so how can you count £10m that isn't going to be paid until next summer?

joe123

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/NG156087070603-0752.htm

have a read of that article on the liverpool website. It has all the information ya need on what benitez has done in terms of bringing money in and out.

I would be fairly confident benitez will get backing, however you cant know for sure what goes on behind it all and papers just exagerate everything.

It seems benitez picks the players and parry does the negotiating.

You are all forgetting that there are still two games left in the spanish league so barcelona are hardly going to announce eto is leaving as is Ronaldinho or whoever with them in such a close title race.

Lets give time till thats over at least and we will see. Papers are suggesting Benitez has 30 million budget to 100 million budget. They dont know neither do we. Lets hope he gets the proper backing but for now we are clueless.

If the american boys sacked benitez they would have a very very angry liverpool fanbase...and he has got an average side to two champions league finals.There not stupid.As for him walking out well its down to what backing he gets...

RasTa

Tusky wrote:

The FA Cup is worthless ?

Meh it's a good consolation prize if you spend lots of money and don't win the league.

Dub13

GERRARD AND CARRAGHER SIGN UNTIL 2011

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156099070604-1613.htm

Tusky

RasTa wrote:

Meh it's a good consolation prize if you spend lots of money and don't win the league.

Utd fan then ?

mike65

GERRARD AND CARRAGHER SIGN UNTIL 2011

We've (re) signed someone at last! Hopefully Finnan, Reina and Alonso will b next (as dodgy as the latter has been this last season).

Mike.

dardoz

was in the NOTW yesterday that we have offiicially tabled an offer of €52 for Eto'o

Coincidentally the same amount as the previous rumour that stated we would blow our whole kitty of £35 on him.

zing

So Parry - in theory anyways - isn't just sitting about scratching his .... - he's supposedly negotiating some deals.
http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?HLID=470336&CPID=8&title=Reds+chief+asks+for+patience&lid=&channel=Premiership&f=rss&clid=14

Tusky

Hicks has come out and said that there will be a 'big name signing' announced before the end of the week. Molouda ?

zAbbo

La Liga isn't over yet, and it looks like Sevilla are losing their manager, I'd expect someone more than Malouda, he's hardly a big name.

Rick Parry is a tool.

Zapp Brannigan

Malouda has issued a come get me plea to Liverpool, but has also said he'd move to any other big club if Liverpool don't make a bid. C'mon and get the finger out lads, the boy is quality!

dardoz

Malouda is not a big name signing.

Chardee MacDennis

Sammy Eto'o has been quite vocal about rumours in the past coming out and saying he will be at Barca next year and also saying he wanted Henry to come - havent heard anything from him in the last week or so even about the Henry deal, seems strange. I would say he wont be playing their next season and whether it is Arsenal or us could be interesting.

Tusky

I dont consider Molouda a big name signing either..maybe im in denial, but I just cant see Liverpool signing Eto'o, Tezev, Villa or any of those that would be considered big name signings.

woodyg

well we need to get our act together quickly as teams around us and even abroad are making strides an leaving us even further behind.

Munich have bough Toni and Ribery in the last week so that means Arsenal will be on the hunt for a winger which puts them in the hunt for moluda.

Action time has come and its a short period to do it in cause alot of clubs are spending big early to beat the competition.

Chardee MacDennis

we wont hear anything until La Liga and Ligue 1 finishes, unless we sign someone from the Prem - which i doubt as Rafa doesnt seem to do it that often and they are often over priced.

What would people think about a Cisse for Anelka swap?

woodyg

Call_me_al wrote:

What would people think about a Cisse for Anelka swap?

not much to be honest, yes the man is quality but he's just to much of a pain in the arse to deal with. he just doesn't fit in at a club unless he's the big cheese.
He didn't settle before so can't see him settling this time.

I know the Season is still happening but this is the time to get your business done as it A)means less competition for the player B)player has time to settle in and do pre-season C) out going players can then be sold as position is filled D) eases managers/fans worries about lack of direction.