Liverpool Signings and General Rumours Thread

PiE

Davei141 wrote:

the way i see it is if owen got injured and we have crouch heading it down to morientes, whats he going to do with it?

Er... be a 20+ goals a season striker? Rafa is playing Morientes in the wrong way. He's being used to supply the other strikers whereas he should be the one getting on the end of them. Admittedly he hasn't been the most clinical or the most 'hungry' of players for Liverpool, but that's the area that he would excel in. I reckon his lack of form is down to a lack of confidence which is down to a lack of goals. Simple as.

Though I still would prefer Owen over him at the moment!

Davei141

Him being a 20+ a season striker would make me happier than anyone, but hes going to have to get back in training because hes moving like an old woman at the moment. I agree he isnt being played to his strenghts but hes got to get much sharper if hes looking to break into double figures.

el rabitos

Nobody at liverpool has talked of a need to sell cisse to fund a return of owen. with baros sold, the money spent on crouch has been canceled out. so i'd imagine theres a good bulk of money still there to spend.

take away 5 for a defender and 5 again maybe for a winger. i still reckon there would be 10 or so there for buying owen.

he's not as prolific as people are making out, he had his fair share of dry patches. i'm sure he'd play well off crouch, but not much better than baros imo.

i'm still against buying back owen. its just bad business pure and simple. and its no way to make us look respectable. selling a player for 8 million and buying him back for 10 or 11 makes us look like mugs.

chelsea might spend stupid amounts on players, but at least they recoup a good amount when they sell players

they also have a 300 million shirt making deal with adidas starting next season and a huge deal with samsung or whoever it is on their shirts this year

what do liverpool have? 25 million a year deal with reebok? and no huge amount being offered by carlsberg either

someone needs to start looking for better deals for us as a club and the buck stops with the chairman and parry. last time i checked chelsea had no history and have won nothing really. we're the current champions of europe and the most succesful team in the history of english football.....we're struggling to fund a new stadium and bringing in sub standard chelsea rejects like zenden

something needs to happen fast at the club. reality check

jesus_thats_gre

El Rabitos, I now know what fans of other clubs mean when they talk about Liverpool being a club living in the past..

Reality check.. We are the 4th club in England, both on the pitch and from a financial perspective.. Chelsea are the up and coming team with 200 odd million sterling spent on the best young talent in the world.. The clubs management/owner are setting the club up to be the biggest in the world and the most dominant over the next decade..

They are a total different kettle of fish when compared to Liverpool. In the eyes on a potential sponsor, Chelsea are gold.. Sponsors are hedging their bets on getting long term deals now for relatively big money with the knowlegde they are gonna be sponsoring the "in" club...

Liverpool on the end are still essentially a family run club and not owned by one of the richest men in the world...

Out of curiosity, how long does the samsung sponsorship of Chelsea last? edit.. 5 years and only worth 20 mil a year?

el rabitos

Liverpool on the end are still essentially a family run club and not owned by one of the richest men in the world...

yeah thats a fact. but it doesnt excuse david moores or rick parry for not having the clout to attract big sponsors to the club.

arsenal signed a 300 million deal with emirates last year to help them out with they're sponsorship. now if liverpool were not in a position to command the same sort of money be it from kit makers or shirt sponsors then i'd be happy with what we have.

however i think its a fact that we're the most successfull team in the history of british football, we dont go many seasons without winning cups at least, we've always been in and around the top 4 during the clubs worst period and now we're champions of europe.

its not roman abramovic's money that makes chelsea get the type of cash they're getting from sponsorships, its the fact that they're a well run club.

maybe peter kenyon is a dyke, but he's getting chelsea deals that are beyond they're worth. and if David Moores and Rick Parry cant command those sort of deals for liverpool and continue doing business the way they are, then it will take a manager that can turn players like zenden traore and the like into super human players.....

because the fact is u CANT win the Premiership with sub-standard players. this liverpool team will NEVER win the premiership while arsenal, chelsea and man utd are in it.

when we compete with the top 4 on the business side, we'll start competing with them on the pitch (excuse the red spider-esc post )

redspider

el rabitos wrote:

its not roman abramovic's money that makes chelsea get the type of cash they're getting from sponsorships, its the fact that they're a well run club.

when we compete with the top 4 on the business side, we'll start competing with them on the pitch (excuse the red spider-esc post )

And there I was, just about to commend you on such a good post! ;-)

This is a good discussion guys on many fronts and some well thought out points are made.

In terms of Owen/Cisse/Morientes/Crouch, etc, we probably saw a player score a goal yesterday and create more havoc than most of these 4 and that was Baros - for Villa! Its water under the bridge now, but we have let a potential star go for 6.5m.

Cisse came for 14m (wow, so much, no wonder there were no competing bids!). He has not lived up to his price-tag and his finishing is woeful, far too direct, too strong. He could easily go many games this season without scoring. The same for Morientes, my complaints about him have been vociferous from the start. He is just not a good player anymore. Owen had problems at Liverpool before he left, we all know that. If anything, his finishing touch seemed to improved at Real, but no doubt with such a team, who score many goals and leak many at the back, scoring goals is different than at Liverpool and in the english league.

All these players are different, and its up to Benitez to try and set-up a formation that extracts the best out of them. But we have another major problem at Liverpool, and that is the midfield. It is not well structured at the moment, and with a 4-4-2 formation, does the midfield pick itself? No it doesnt, and a good attacking pair can only be built on a well-structured and functioning midfield.

Benitez has his favourites. He likes Morientes. He likes Garcia. These players get preferential treatment. I dont like that. I think Cisse is not one of those "chosen few" by Benitez. Cisse is not a winger so sticking him out there is crazy. There is also the boardroom influence re Owen. Why would the board sell Owen last year for 8m and now want him back so desperately? Was his selling a mistake? And at what price? 16m for his return is way too much, even for the board. Benitez sounds like a reluctant party in all of this. He doesnt really want Owen, because if he did, his language would have been much different.

There is no happy ending for Liverpool in all of this:
- As is, we dont have a good front line.
- Owen signs and we keep Cisse, the club will be out of pocket.
- Owen signs and Cisse leaves, we lose money on Cisse and we dont give him a fair crack of the whip. The lad probably deserves more of a chance at the club and time to adjust his style.

I think that Morientes has been given the time and hasnt shown it, so if anyone should be shipped out it should be him. But that wont happen, hs is, for now, one of the chosen few.

So, for Liverpool and for Owen the next few days are very important. Liverpool could sign him and see the whole affair as an expensive mistake, and Owen can decalre likewise. "Yes, I thought I wanted to play at what I thought was the biggest club in the world, but my heart is in Liverpool", etc, etc. Benitez may say, ok board, we can get Owen but I want to keep Cisse as well for options, knowing that Morientes aint going to do the business for Liverpool and Cisse will be a good back-up.

I would not be surprised if Morientes gets "injured" at some point in the season. Maybe he's been watching Harry Kewell and knows that being a professional footballer means that you can get a good wage without actually playing any football !


In terms of Liverpool and its business acumen, there is a point that Chelsea and Man U are more marketable, so sponsorship will be lower for Liverpool until they start dominating. They are not dominating at the moment and dont, lets be honest here, look like it. No-one expected Liverpool to win the CL last year, and no-one does this year. That is what the sponsors go by.

Chelsea though are on a different playing field in terms of finance. Abramovich, the c.u.en.tee, is spending loads on Chelsea and making a huge loss. They are now in a position to over-pay for all players, such as Shaun WP and Essien, and increase the gap between themselves and even the likes of Man U and Arsenal. How this all plays out is anyone's guess? Maybe Putin and some ex-KGBers will give Roman a slug in the back of the head and change the whole thing. Time will tell. But in the meantime, we cannot compare the finances of Liverpool and Chelsea, or indeed Chelsea with any other club. Liverpools finances as a normal club arent bad at all. Its how those resources are used which is more worrying, selling Baros, paying more for Crouch (!), selling Owen for 8m, buying him for perhaps 16m, buying Cisse for 14m, selling him for 10m, buying Kewell, getting Zenden on a free, etc, etc.

redspider

Jivin Turkey

redspider wrote:

I think that Morientes has been given the time and hasnt shown it, so if anyone should be shipped out it should be him.

Morientes has played about 20 games for Liverpool, and scored five goals.

He definitely hasn't been given enough time seeing as about three quarters of his appearances came last year, in games that were in general second priority to the team. It was difficult for him to shine in the league last year as teams were chopped and changed, and all players eyes were on the midweek CL games. He also arrived unfit, after a prolonged period on the bench for Madrid.

Im not saying he is doing great, but I wouldn't write a world class player off so soon, particularly given his circumstances.

el rabitos

Morientes wont be doing much for us the way we're playing. he needs wingers to be suplying him with crosses, if the crosses are good, he'll knock them in all day long.

now if morientes was at chelsea, he'd be having the time of his life. he'd thrive in that formation with the supply he'd get there.

i think peter crouch will bring out the best in cisse and give him more opportunitys to shoot. suprising to say we need crouch back.

in regards to the clubs finances and with arsenal getting a huge amount of money to call they're new stadium the "EMIRATES STADIUM" or whatever, how many of you would be happy for liverpool to take 300 million to call the new stadium "new Pepsi-max anfield" or something?

Necronomicon

el rabitos wrote:

Morientes wont be doing much for us the way we're playing. he needs wingers to be suplying him with crosses, if the crosses are good, he'll knock them in all day long.

Agreed. I don't think Liverpool have a decent winger. Zenden has looked unconvincing and it's well-known that Benitez is in the market for a right winger. Morientes doesn't have good service from wide areas, Benitez said that himself.

It was hard for Morientes to shine for Liverpool last season; they were very inconsistant in the league. How could he really do well in a team that's playing poorly? Their one successful campaign, Europe, he couldn't be a part of.

Chucky the tree

Personnally i think we need 4 strikers. If owen gets an injury we would be ****ed. Look at the injury crisis united had last year. Moro and crouch wouldnt work up front. Garcia is worse then cisse. FSP is going to be the right winger. And mellor just isnt good enough.

fred funk }{

Im worried about the team we have and im left wondering about some of decisions Benitez has made.

I think Crouch is a decent mid table player but i dont he is good enough for the Liverpool i want to see. Morientes was a world class player but not now, at most we can expect to see glimpses of his past ability, waste of money i think. Sissoko looks decent enough, high work rate but he's from the same cast as Traore but better (that cant be hard) maybe in time will be good.

Garcia is a joke and i think if i see him give the ball away one more time i'll smash the tele! Does someone not call him aside and tell him to stop trying fancy flicks and tricks, its ok if you have the ability but criminal if you dont.

Alonso is top class and im very pleased with him, excellent passer although he does go for the killer pass every time.

I would like to see Owen back but not at the exspense of a good CH or other.

I think we will struggle again this season and fourth will be difficult to get. I was very optimistic when Benitez came aboard but slowly im starting to lose faith.

Chucky the tree

fred funk }{ wrote:

.I think we will struggle again this season and fourth will be difficult to get. I was very optimistic when Benitez came aboard but slowly im starting to lose faith.

:rolleyes:

cruiserweight

Liverpool are in talks with Bouma from PSV

PSV Eindhoven defender Wilfred Bouma is set to meet officials from Liverpool and Aston Villa to discuss a move, according to his agent.

"It's 90% certain Bouma will leave PSV," said the player's agent Ger Lagendijk. "We hope to reach an agreement with a club on Monday."

Bouma is a current Netherlands international who made his debut for PSV in October 1994.

The transfer window closes on 31 August and any deals must be done by then.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has made the purchase of a central defender one of his priorities.

PSV have already sold South Korean Park Ji-Sung to Manchester United and are poised to sell Lee Young-pyo to Tottenham.

galwaydude

is he any good then, tough choice between aston villa and liverpool.No offence to villa but ifs a choice between them and us the player will always join liverpool. Interesting to see baros scoring and having a stormer on saturday for villa. Hopefully we wont regret selling him.

segadreamcast

Tough choice my ar$e. I don't mean to be someone who waves this around, but we are the champions of Europe, it does have a lot of pulling power especially when compared to mid-table English anomaly (a.k.a. Villa).

galwaydude

Im a liverpool fan so if its good for the club then bring him on board.

Board@Work

I heard on todayfm this morn that owen is in engerland having talks with liverpool and newcastle...

LFCFan

Owen will be signing either today or tomorrow. I've a feeling Cisse will be opffloaded to Marseille or Lyon. Would rather keep him though as he's liked by the rest of the team and has some serious potential. Would feel very sorry for him if we let him go. He's determined to do his best at the club and I think if he was given the chance he would do a great job for us. The whole transfer speculation is wrecking his head at the moment so if he's still with us after Wednesday I think we'll see a dramatic improvement.

cruiserweight

LFCFan wrote:

I've a feeling Cisse will be opffloaded to Marseille or Lyon.

According to the Mirror Liverpool have turned down a bid from Spurs for Cisse

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/mediawatch/drilldown/MW8877050829-1008.htm

LIVERPOOl have rejected an £8million offer for France international striker Djibril Cisse.
Shrewd Spurs chairman Daniel Levy contacted Liverpool at the weekend with his bid, which is almost half of the £14m the Anfield club paid to Auxerre for the exciting but erratic forward.

Liverpool have turned down the cash as they want more, but Spurs think they have a chance because the Kop need to raise funds in their bid for new players - including Michael Owen.

Now Spurs will turn their attentions to Chelsea's Carlton Cole after losing Egyptian striker Mido for a probable four games.

Necronomicon

Now Spurs will turn their attentions to Chelsea's Carlton Cole after losing Egyptian striker Mido for a probable four games.

a) Carlton Cole.....
b) Why a four game suspension?


Anyway, I know it was Houlier that brought Cisse to Liverpool and maybe he wouldn't have been in Rafa's plans, but I think it would be harsh to offload him. He's one of the hungriest players on the team, desperate to prove himself after his injury last season.

~Rebel~

Houllier did all the work, but Rafa ok'd it. He became manager before it was all done and dusted and had the chance to back out but he didn't. Would prefer to keep cisse then get owen. Getting owen at the loss of cisse would be a waste of money on both counts, will end up loosing about 4 on owen and about the same on cisse..8mill lost out of stupidity! And then who scores the goals when owen has his obligatory dry spell? if we get owen fair enough, but i think its a waste selling a potential talent like cisse this soon! I thin mny predictions about baros are gonna come true even sooner then i expected!

redspider

We are in agreement Rebel.

Other bits of news:

Owen - Rick Parry has a budget to buy him, may not need to sell Cisse, unless Real stick with 16m, then no deal. Both Owen and Liverpool playing "mind games" with Real. It will go down to the wire on Wed perhaps.

Warnock - gets call up to England

Josemi - Rafa see's him as part of his plans for this season (but where, right back - have Finnan, CB, ok perhaps but what about Whitbread)

Woodgate - in play ??






Rafael Benitez has revealed Spanish defender Josemi will feature much more in his first team plans this season. Josemi impressed in a central defensive role against CSKA Sofia last week and then turned in a good display at right back in the Super Cup final win over CSKA Moscow. The former Malaga man endured an injury hit first season on Merseyside last year, but Benitez insists he has enough quality to play his part in the Reds' quest for honours over the coming months.

Zak Whitbread has insisted he won't be too dispirited if Rafael Benitez brings in a new central defender before Wednesday's transfer deadline.

Liverpool have made an inquiry regarding the availability of Jonathan Woodgate. The former Leeds United and Newcastle United defender is yet to play a competitive game for Real Madrid following his £13.4million transfer from Tyneside last year. Out injured with a thigh injury since April 2004, Woodgate has played only 5 minutes for Real and that was when he came off the bench in a recent pre-season friendly.

England striker Michael Owen is prepared to stay in Spain if he fails to secure a dramatic Anfield homecoming within the next 72 hours. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry is involved in advanced negotiations with Owen's representatives and Real Madrid to try and secure a deal before Wednesday's transfer deadline.


redspider

Jivin Turkey

Woodgate is/was a class player, but it would be ridiculous for Liverpool to sign him though given his current physical state.

They had an approach for Phillipe Mexes turned down by Roma today.

Reports are also circling about Bouma, I wouldnt mind him at all, he is a very good player. Lots of experience too but still reasonably young.

p.pete

Woodgate could be good if we got him on loan for the season - could be of interest to Madrid if they had someone else paying his wages while he regains fitness. But then, who knows what Madrids thinking is when it comes to defensive players.

I'm wondering does Rafa have anyone lined up from Valencia for right midfield - possibly someone nearing the end of their contract. I'm only thinking this because all the players we've been linked to in that position so far are around the 30 age mark. Maybe he wants someone who can do a job for one or two seasons while bideing his time for someone else...

cruiserweight

Looks like a deal bring Cisse to Marseille is still alive, just about

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/4194792.stm

Marseille president Pape Diouf said a potential deal to bring Liverpool's Djbril Cisse to the French club hangs in the balance.

"It's complicated with Cisse. But this is not over," said Diouf ahead of Wednesday's transfer deadline.

"I am waiting to see how things go but as I have always said, it's a complicated situation."

Marseille are currently bottom of the league after after failing to win any of their opening five matches.

However, Marseille coach Jean Fernandez insists the club needs to bring in a player to help the backline rather than a striker.

"We need a central defender, that's what I want and I have already told the managers Pape Diouf and Jose Anigo," Fernandez said.

el rabitos

as far as woodgate goes, i dont think rafa or liverpool as a club are are in the business of helping one of our rivals players get back to full fitness at our expence. any deal regarding woodgate would be a years loan with an option to buy i'd imagine.

woodgate would be a nice option, good player, but a year out of the game is a long long time. it will take him a while to get his sharpness back, and to be honest i wouldnt want to be paying more than 5 mill for him.

should be an interesting couple of days, with rafa wanting 2 more players at least and the owen situation, only 48 hours left.

btw, i dont see souness being at newcastle long enough to see owen play many games if they get him tbh

galwaydude

I hope we keep cisse and manage to get owen.

Liverpool seem to be looking at alot of center backs right now but no transfer as off yet, wednesday will be a very interesting day at anfield.

Where the hell is bannor now that we need him,BRING BACK BANNOR

Necronomicon

Jivin Turkey wrote:

They had an approach for Phillipe Mexes turned down by Roma today.

No wonder, after all the crap Roma went through to sign him!

Jivin Turkey wrote:

Woodgate is/was a class player, but it would be ridiculous for Liverpool to sign him though given his current physical state.

I don't think a loan move would be too crazy. I think a fully fit Woodgate would be a good asset.

I'm surprised Benitez, with his Valencia connections, never went after Ayala. He's been performing consistantly in La Liga for how many years now?

StickyMcGinty

Necromomicon wrote:

I'm surprised Benitez, with his Valencia connections, never went after Ayala. He's been performing consistantly in La Liga for how many years now?

i would have thought that with pelligrino too though, disasterous signing

PiE

Josemi impressed in a central defensive role against CSKA Sofia last week

What?

turned in a good display at right back in the Super Cup final win over CSKA Moscow.

What!

Woodgate has played only 5 minutes for Real and that was when he came off the bench in a recent pre-season friendly.

Jesus.

Of all the defenders mentioned so far, Billy Bouma would be the only transfer I'd like to see happen.

galwaydude

Real Madrid have confirmed that they have received a second bid from England for Michael Owen.

Newcastle agreed a club record fee - in the region of £16 million - with Real last week.

However, Owen has always insisted Liverpool were his preferred option and now The Reds are understood to have made contact with the El Santiago Bernabeu outfit.

It is highly unlikely that Liverpool will make an offer anywhere near the bid from Newcastle, but the approach does signify their intent on bringing the 25-year-old back to Anfield.

"We have received two bids from England, one of which has been accepted already. The other will be discussed by the directors today [Tuesday]," said Real vice-president Emilio Butragueno, who is also the club's sporting director.

The Spanish legend, though, warned all Owen's suitors that Real would have no qualms about keeping the England striker.

"If Owen doesn't want to join a particular club after we have accepted a bid then he will stay and fight for Real," he added.

"We can review the situation in January or at the end of the season if nothing happens this week."

Owen was in England over the Bank Holiday weekend talking with both Liverpool and Newcastle.

The North East club are desperate to secure Owen's signature, but they know Liverpool are his preferred option - although The Reds interest may hinge on whether they can off-load Djibril Cisse.

Both Monaco and Marseille are keen, although loan deals look the only viable option at this stage.

StickyMcGinty

no centre half, no right winger, and no owen... just wait and see

yom 1

Does anybody else feel like we are not going to sign a Centre Back or a right winger. I just have this niggling feeling. Maybe it is because everybody we have gone for in these positions have gone to other clubs. I feel like it could be a disaster waiting to happen if we dont sign them.

A Centre Back is absolutely essential if Liverpool are serious about mounting a challenge on the Big 3. Hyypia is just not good enough anymore due to a serious lack of pace as we all now. Exceptional preformances from Carragher and exceptionally bad preformances from an even slower Pellegrino made him look better than he was last year.

We have gone far to long without an attacking winger (on either side as Kewell has been nothing short than MUCK) who can turn a game on its head with one amazing dribble/run. I mean Chelsea have Duff, Robben, SWP, Arsenal have Pires, Reyes and United have Ronaldo and Giggs.

galwaydude

its not like we are strapped for cash after winning the CL last season. I hope we do get someone in or else it will be another long season ahead with 4th the aim.
The problem is that every club now inflates the price once liverpool gets involved after last years success but rafa is smarter than that and wont do a chelsea and pay way over the odds for players.

~Rebel~

*sigh* ok erm i really wanted to have the CB position sewn up by now...back to square one it seems with..a day to go!
source: http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=302665&CPID=8&CLID=14&lid=&title=Villa+fend+off+Reds+interest&channel=premiership

Aston Villa look to have fended off late interest from Liverpool to secure Dutch star Wilfred Bouma.

The European champions are desperately looking for a new central defender and they turned their attention to PSV Eindhoven's Bouma, after reportedly failing with a loan bid for Roma's Philippe Mexes.

However, Liverpool have failed to land Bouma after Villa secured him in a deal worth more than £4 million, with the player expected to put pen to-paper at Villa Park on Tuesday.

Villa chairman Doug Ellis, currently on holiday in Italy where he is still recuperating from major heart surgery, masterminded the deal as he authorised Villa's second major signing in less than a week - after Milan Baros arrived from Liverpool.

"I don't know of any clubs spending £11 million in seven days," said Ellis - who is now looking for a place in Europe this season.

"When you add up all the extras we're investing £21 million in these two players.

"It's what the manager wanted and now he's got it.

"Villa have been in Europe for 10 of the past 20 years, but regrettably haven't been in Europe for some time now.

"It is time we are back where we belong."

Chardee MacDennis

i've been thinking for a while we aint getting any new players. ah well, guess we're not selling cisse?!?

StickyMcGinty

ah screw this shyte, rafa has let us down over this, the owen fiasco took his eye off the ball, and no we're not gonna sign anyone else

all this owen thing has been was a fiasco, a distraction, pain in the arse even

Board@Work

If Owen starts banging them in at twenty plus a season I am going to be really pi$$ed off..


At least the speculation for the last month is finally over. Personally I feel sorry for Owen as it is definately a step backwards

p.pete

I'm disapointed we didn't get Owen - I never liked the guy but there's been a goal-scoring void since he left. With Baros out I thought things would have been right for him to return. That's the 2nd time this Summer that we've failed to sign a Madrid player - I'm thinking there must be some serious grudges there with Benitez's seeming reluctance to entertain them.

With Bouma going to Villa and all other things seeming quiet at the moment I don't hold out too much hope for signings before the deadline - I'd like to think we'd squeeze in a fitness test before any potential signings...

<edit>

It's all a little more worrying in light of us being 2 matchs behind in the League, facing a minimum of 6 European matches and also a mid-season trip to Japan. The depleted strike force, threadbare centrebacks and vacant right wing position is actually startling

Chardee MacDennis

wonder what the odds are of: fowler, heskey, diouf, owen and baros all scoring against us this season? then pair that with westerveld, warner, friedel, kirkland and james all keeping a clean sheet!!!

Chardee MacDennis

IN:
Antonio Barragan (undisclosed) Can't be more than 500k
Peter Crouch (£7million)
Jose Reina (£6million)
Mohamed Sissoko (£5million)
Boudewijn Zenden (free)
Total Spent: £18.5m

Out:
Milan Baros (£6.5million)
Alou Diarra (undisclosed) (£2m)
El-Hadji Diouf (undisclosed) (£4m)
Antonio Nunez (undisc) (£3m)
Plus £4.25m fee for Owen's sale apparently.

Total received: £19.5m

Total outlay for the summer:
-£1 Million


Coul this be right? i have a feeling liverpools problem is not the money, beside the fact we will not pay outlandish prices on principle(which i totally agree with - upson 12m your having a laugh), but that players arent willing to join liverpool. would you agree?

StickyMcGinty

al, i was hoping no one would do the maths - its shockin to think how little we've spend really

~Rebel~

didn't we come into this window with 20mill to splash out with? so dont we still have 20mill seeing as how we'v made it all back?! Please for the love of god let today and tomorrow be rampant days of quality signings!

redspider

redspider wrote:

Owen - Rick Parry has a budget to buy him, may not need to sell Cisse, unless Real stick with 16m, then no deal. Both Owen and Liverpool playing "mind games" with Real. It will go down to the wire on Wed perhaps.

England striker Michael Owen is prepared to stay in Spain if he fails to secure a dramatic Anfield homecoming within the next 72 hours. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry is involved in advanced negotiations with Owen's representatives and Real Madrid to try and secure a deal before Wednesday's transfer deadline.

Today:
Michael Owen has agreed to join Newcastle after holding talks with The Magpies and former club Liverpool. The Real Madrid star held discussions with Newcastle and Liverpool on Monday and he has now agreed a four-year deal at St James' Park. Owen is currently undergoing a medical on Tyneside and he successfully comes through that he will become the club's new record signing.


So, after all the mind games, huffing and puffing, Real and Newcastle win. Owen has to make do with his unpreferred option. Someone mentioned in some thread about players having all the power. As can be seen in this and other deals, if they want to play football, which after all increases their own value and money-making capability, they certainly dont have the power.

For Owen, it is clearly a step backwards. It may not do his England chances much good either, but he is guaranteed many first team games, and Newcastle have Luque, Shearer and himself. Things should get better for Newcastle. For Liverpool, its probably the right decision. 8m was an ok bid, but not 16 or 17 or 18m! We know Owen's playing problems, could we really have used him, and we have a lot of attackers. For players like Cisse, they have a reprieve and a chance to prove themselves. Liverpool will certainly miss Baros now.

I think for Benitez, selling Baros was a mistake, but one that had to be done if manager and player couldnt get on, but buying Owen would have been just a big a mistake for 18m.

Centre Back and Right Midfield/Winger, lets be heariug from you Rafa. My gut feeling is that either a young player or two will be signed or else no-one, but definitely not a recognised player in that position, ala: Sissoko ....

redspider

TheMonster

Call_me_al wrote:

IN:
Out:
Antonio Nunez (undisc) (£3m)

Remove the m and that about right - I think Undisclosed in this case actually been close to 0.

Chardee MacDennis

i think celta vigo said it was around the 3m mark whether that be euro or sterling i dont know.

Big Nelly

Call_me_al wrote:

i think celta vigo said it was around the 3m mark whether that be euro or sterling i dont know.

Cant see them getting 3million for him! was never a first teamer at Madrid and hardly showned much to get a 3mil fee last season!! more like 1 Million euro if lucky!!

PiE

Oh man, the season's starting to look a bit grim already.

woodyg

Liverpool have messed up big time in leating this happen

Owen will catapulte Newcastle up the table im very angry about this

Chucky the tree

i am quite happy we didnt get him. If owen didnt have such a ****e attitude towards rafa last season i would be more pissed off. But the fact he screwed us over means i am happy we didnt sign him.

Leaving liverpool to win trophies, then returning a year late to newcastle? love it.

i would be well pissed off if we paid 16mil for him a year after selling him. We would of been the laughing stock of world football.