JULY 26
Pennant completes Liverpool move

BBC Sport Online

Liverpool have signed Jermaine Pennant from Birmingham in
a £6.7m deal.

The price for the 23-year-old, who has joined on a four-year contract, could rise to £8m with add-ons.

The Blues initially turned down a £3.5m offer and negotiated a higher fee as they have to give Pennant's old club Arsenal 25% of the cash received.

Pennant, who joined City last summer after a successful four-month loan spell, is expected to immediately join his new team-mates in Switzerland.

And he could make his debut on Saturday against Kaiserslautern in Liechtenstein.

Pennant said: "The opportunity to play for the club I supported as boy in Europe, was a wonderful opportunity for me and too good to turn down.

"I had a great time in my 18 months at Birmingham City, and everybody, including the fans were absolutely fantastic to me.

"Hopefully I will have the opportunity to play against them in the Premiership sooner rather than later, because that is where they deserve to be.

"When I had my problems, Steve Bruce and the club showed faith in me.

"I will always be grateful to Steve and the rest of the coaching staff because they have provided me with the opportunity to take on a new challenge in my career."

Pennant's arrival solves Rafael Benitez's search for a right-sided midfielder, with his first choice, Sevilla's Daniel Alves, proving too pricey at £12m.

The England Under-21 international, who joined Birmingham for £3m, joins Wales striker Craig Bellamy at Anfield as Benitez looks to invest in young British talent.

But in Pennant, the Liverpool coach has purchased one of football's most notorious players.

In 2005 the midfielder become the first footballer to play in the Premiership while wearing an electronic tag. He had served 21 days in jail after being found guilty of drink driving while banned and having no insurance.

Originally Pennant had been banned from driving for 16 months in 2004 after being seen travelling in the wrong lane in Paddington, west London.

Also in 2005 it was reported that Birmingham sent the player home from training after he turned up under the influence of alcohol.

And in a separate incident that year, Pennant was alleged to have become involved in an argument with a man outside a restaurant on the Greek island of Zante, which led to the man punching him.

In 2003, Pennant was sent home from an England Under-21 training camp for breaking a curfew.

JULY 14
Bellamy so like Robbie

By David Prentice - Liverpool Echo

Craig Bellamy reminds his manager of an Anfield legend - which is why Rafael Benitez believes the Welsh striker can put his colourful reputation behind him and prove a success at Liverpool.

Reds' fans will get their first sight of Bellamy in a Liverpool shirt at Wrexham tomorrow - possibly alongside Robbie Fowler.

And Benitez admits that he was reminded of Fowler when he first sat with Bellamy.

"We spoke with him face to face and the response of the player was fantastic. It was similar to when I was talking to Robbie Fowler," he explained. "You could see he was a Liverpool fan and you could see he was desperate to play for us.

"I think this desire can be the difference between the Bellamy that we knew in the past and the Bellamy that maybe we will see in the future.

"When a player has some problems in his past it is a risk, but from speaking to the player you can see he is more mature now. I think he knows that this move is important for him and he wants to be successful in a top side.

"This is the opportunity for him."

Bellamy will bring the same kind of pace that Djibril Cisse possessed to the Reds' forwardline, but with the intelligent movement Cisse found impossible to produce.

"Pace is areally important quality to have in our team," Benitez added. "If you want to win a lot of games you need pace.

"Sometimes in open playyou can move the ball, but if the other team is deep and waiting for you it is not easy and youneed players with good movement and pace, like Bellamy.

"Also, if you want to play on the counter-attack, pace can make the difference.

"I also wanted players with experience of the English league, and Bellamy knows all the defenders."

Benitez also explained his decision to release Cisse and Fernando Morientes.

"I was really, really happy with Morientes' commitment and his attitude towards training," he said. "He worked hard during training sessions and in games, but it is true that he was not playing at his level.

"Maybe for him the English league was more difficult than for other players.

"We spoke to him and he is very, very professional, so we found a solution.

"For Djibril, after two broken legs maybe it will be more difficult for him here in the English league, and also with the players we were thinking of signing.

"Djibril played alot of games - for example the final of the FA Cup, when I used Crouchand Cisse instead of Morientes.

"I am not the kind of manager who says I will use this player just because I signed him.

"I needed to use the best players for my team and when I needed to use the pace of Cisse I used him and when I needed to use the aerial power of Crouch, I used him."

JULY 12
Double joy

By David Prentice - Liverpool Echo

Liverpool's new defensive stars Brazilian Fabio Aurelio and Argentinian Gabriel Paletta today (Wednesday) both cited the influence of Rafael Benitez as the reason behind their decisions to move to Anfield.

Speaking at this afternoon's Anfield press conference Aurelio, who joined the Reds on a free transfer from Valencia, said: "There are three main reasons why I joined Liverpool.

"Firstly, the history and tradition of the club is a huge attraction as is the chance to play in the English league because the Premiership has always appealed to me.

"Of course, the manager was a big factor as well because we worked together at Valencia and had some really good times.

"When a manager who you like and trust wants you to move to a club the size of Liverpool then you don't say no.

"I like to get forward from left-back and join the attack when I get a chance. I'm an attack minded full-back and I think I'm quite good when it comes to taking free-kicks.

"I have an eye for goal as well and always like to have a shot on goal when the chance comes up."

Paletta, a 20-year-old centre-back who cost £2m from Buenos Aires-based club Banfield, added: "This is a big challenge for me and I know I have made a big decision to move so far away from home at such a young age.

"But it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down because this is a great club with a great manager.

"I'm really excited about my future with Liverpool. I watched the Premiership on TV when I was in Argentina and I know what a great opportunity this is for me.

"I know all about the club's history but the important thing now is the future and I'm delighted to be a part of it.

"I consider myself to be a player for the future because I know I have a lot to learn, but at the same time I also want to challenge for a first team place as soon as possible to show the fans what I can do."

JULY 12
Rafa's revolving Anfield door busy

TEAMtalk

Liverpool are in the process of seeing four players leave the club as they step up their chase for major new arrivals at Anfield.

Dietmar Hamann's protracted and complex move to Manchester City via Bolton inside the next 24 hours stole the show as far as departures from Merseyside go, but Liverpool also loaned out fourth-choice goalkeeper Chris Kirkland to Wigan for six months with a permanent deal of around £1million expected.

Djibril Cisse's exit to Marseille will be concluded on Wednesday, a season-long loan which will eventually pull in around £8million when he has finally recovered from his broken leg.

Cisse, after attending France president Jacques Chirac's reception for the defeated World Cup finalists in Paris, is expected to be unveiled by Marseille at a media conference.

And Liverpool are still expecting the £1.7million move of Antonio Barragan to Deportivo La Coruna to be completed by the end of the week.

All this means that boss Rafael Benitez can be expected to try to finally tie up the move Daniel Alves from Seville, despite talks having stalled last week over Liverpool's failure to meet the £12million asking price.

Benitez still fancies Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt and Birmingham's Jermaine Pennant, and the fact that the departures of Cisse and Hamann alone will free up around £5million a year in wages is another bargaining boost for the Anfield boss.

It is clear that Benitez needs extra cash from outgoing moves to finance the rest of his summer spending spree, having already brought in Craig Bellamy, Gabriel Paletta, Mark Gonzalez and Fabio Aurelio.

The departure of teenager Barragan has hit a few snags, but has not collapsed. However, Barragan's representative Fermin Gutierrez conceded there are still issues to be overcome before the transfer is pushed through.

He said: "There are still important details to solve. They have to do with the negotiation between us and Depor, and both clubs. Even so, they are not questions that can bring the operation down."

Benitez is expected to field all his new players in Saturday's friendly at Wrexham, as well as Boudewijn Zenden - his first match since a serious knee ligament injury last November.

And it is clear that Benitez envisages Zenden having a significant role next term, ending any speculation from last week that he could be used as a transfer make-weight.

Benitez said: "He has started pre-season training really well. I am thinking about using him sometimes as a central midfielder because he has experience at Middlesbrough in this position.

"He also has quality, and with his experience and his game intelligence he can give us more things. I think he was happier in this position, and with us losing Hamann, we will have Momo Sissoko, Stevie Gerrard and Xabi Alonso for that position - and maybe Bolo, too."

JULY 7
Aurelio can be a pass master

By David Prentice - Liverpool Echo

Liverpool have snapped up a Brazilian free-kick specialist who can pass the ball even better than Xabi Alonso!

The glowing tribute to new left-back Fabio Aurelio came today from boss Rafa Benitez, who has introduced his latest capture at Melwood this week.

The 26-year-old joined the Reds on a four-year deal, after his contract at Valencia - where he spent six years - ended this summer.

Alonso has been ahuge hit at An-field since Benitez made him his first signing. He is renowned for his passing range and accuracy for both Liverpool and Spain but Benitez believes Aurelio is in the same class as his gifted midfielder.

Benitez, who had Aurelio in his two La Liga winning sides of 2002 and 2004, was thrilled to be reunited with the player.

"Aurelio is a left full back or a left winger with a lot of quality," he declared.

"He can cross the ball superbly and he is maybe a better passer of the ball than Xabi Alonso.

"People will say 'oh really?' But you will see the quality of his crosses and passes with his left foot.

"He is also fantastic at set pieces.

"We will have to wait and see how he adapts to the English Premiership because he is Brazilian, butheis professional and I think he can be a good signing.

"If he has a little bit of luck with injuries he can be a very good player."

Aurelio is one of two new defensive signings unveiled at Melwood this week - along with young centre-half Gabriel Paletta.

"Gabriel is totally different to Fabio," added Benitez

"He is more aggressive, very competitive and is good in the air. I always say he is similar to Carra, but he is a player who will need some time because he needs to improve.

"He also needs to learn the language, but he can be very good for us."

JUNE 30
Fabio ready for Rafa reunion

By Peter ORourke - Sky Sports

Fabio Aurelio has revealed his reasons for leaving Valencia for Liverpool.

The Brazilian is set to join Liverpool this weekend on a free transfer when his contract at La Mestalla expires.

The move has been mooted for some time with Reds boss Rafa Benitez a big fan of the player having worked with him at Valencia.

Aurelio, who is expected to sign a four-year deal at Liverpool, admitted the chance to work with Benitez again was too good to turn down.

"It is a sporting decision why I have decided my future and I have greater possibilities to grow as a player," Aurelio told Marca.

"The comfortable thing would have been to have stayed because my family was adapted and we have many friends, but I have objectives and one of them is to get in the Brazil squad.

"I am going to a new club in which the trainer knows me, to see if I can conquer the objectives I have set myself.

"The most important moments I had in my career were the titles (with Valencia) and that was with Benitez.

"He trusted me and he continues to trust me and that is what I value more."

Aurelio admitted he was sad to be leaving Valencia after six years in Spain.

"I am sad to leave a place in which I have been very happy," added Aurelio.

"They welcomed me very well and this city is like my home.

"It is always difficult to leave your home."

JUNE 28
Reds seal Aurelio transfer

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Fabio Aurelio will officially become a Liverpool player this weekend.

Aurelio will sign his four-year Anfield contract on July 1, having already agreed terms with the Reds.

The 27-year-old Brazilian left back, who is signing on a free Bosman deal from Valencia, will start pre-season training with the rest of Liverpool's non-World Cup internationals next week.

Benitez will welcome at least three new faces to Melwood when the players return, with Aurelio joining fellow South American Gabriel Paletta and new striker Craig Bellamy.

Unfortunately, Mark Gonzalez will still need to await clearance from the department for education and employment, although that decision is anticipated a week today.

Ideally, Benitez wants at least a fifth new face to join the club by then - followed by another two before the transfer deadline.

The stand-off between Liverpool and Seville for the £10m transfer of Daniel Alves is continuing, but Benitez is already considering his plan B, which involves bidding for Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt.

Benitez is desperate for another top striker and the exit of Holland from the World Cup will see the chase for Kuyt hot up.

If Seville finally agree a deal for Alves, Benitez knows he hasn't any money left in his kitty to finance a major Kuyt bid, unless he can swiftly sell some of his unwanted squad players.

So far, there has been precious little interest shown in those surplus to requirements at Anfield but it's hoped there will be exits in July.

Scott Carson's potential move to Sheffield Wednesday was always a non-starter as Liverpool are still unsure of Jerzy Dudek's future.

If the Polish Champions League hero is sold, Benitez won't be prepared to leave himself short of goalkeeper cover.

JUNE 22
Bellamy signs for Liverpool - OFFICIAL

Kop Talk

Liverpool have completed the signing of Blackburn Rovers striker Craig Bellamy for £6million.

The player has passed a medical and put pen to paper on a 4-year contract and this has been confirmed by the club.

Speaking about his delight at becoming a Red, Bellamy said: "It's a dream come true to sign for the club I supported as a boy and to actually play for Liverpool will be an enormous honour.
"I'm a very proud person at the moment.

"The fact that it was Liverpool made it impossible for me to turn down the move. As I'm a fan, it doesn't matter what club I was at – I could never turn Liverpool down.

"You get the chance to play for Liverpool and it's a lifelong dream come true."

JUNE 22
Bellamy set to complete Reds switch

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Liverpool will complete the signing of Craig Bellamy today.

The Welsh forward held talks and underwent a medical at Melwood last night.

Pending the results, he'll join the Reds in a deal worth around £6m.

Bellamy returned to the Reds' training ground this morning to conclude the formalities of the transfer, and was planning to put pen to paper before returning to Greece tonight, having interrupted his holiday to sign for Liverpool.

Rafa Benitez has shrugged off concerns about Bellamy's off-field reputation, with the striker ticking all the right boxes during negotiations.

Bellamy's determination to join Liverpool proved a decisive factor, as he rejected a new deal at Blackburn which was financially more lucrative than the terms on offer on Merseyside.

The 26-year-old will now be given the chance to spearhead Liverpool's attack next season, adding the missing ingredient of lightning pace allied with quality to a strikeforce which suffered several barren spells during the campaign.

A strikeforce of Bellamy, Robbie Fowler and Peter Crouch offers more balance to Benitez, although ideally he'd like to add Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt to the list.

That will depend on how much finance Liverpool raise before the transfer deadline.

JUNE 22
Can Benitez get the best out of Bellamy?

By Len Capeling - Daily Post

Presumably someone has told Rafael Benitez of Craig Douglas Bellamy's insatiable appetite for nightclubbing, and all that goes with it.

The Wales international carries with him a charge sheet whose less savoury details would fill a Daily Post page.

And that's before we come to the skirmishes with team-mates and managers.

A year ago - strange to recall - Bellamy sat across the park at Goodison telling an abashed David Moyes his squad wasn't good enough to attract his own shining talents.

Specifically, he wanted to know who Moyes planned to recruit to turn Everton into a team worth considering.

He then sent the strangest of all career signals by signing for home-spun Rovers - though a £6.5million get-out clause indicates that he and his agent had their eyes on bigger things.

Last year's minimal choice of clubs came about because he called Mr Volcano, Graeme Souness, a liar, promptly found himself banished to Celtic, clearly a club he didn't really fancy.

He brazenly boasted of a return to St James' Park for pre-season training, but having sent the unforgiving Alan Shearer a mean-minded text message he decided he wanted to keep his head attached to his body and retreated to Lancashire. Now, 12 months on, he finds himself courted by Liverpool, who badly need his electric pace if not his alleged off-field shenanig ans.

So, how is he on the field? Well, a lot of fizz, but there could be more in the way of end product say his sternest critics.

Think of Thierry Henry, also very quick, and you get the picture.

To be scrupulously fair to a striker whose exasperated Norwich team-mates used to lock him in the lavatory on away-days to escape his witterings - he can be a match-winner.

But never enough of one to attract the elite clubs until Liverpool called.

Persistent knee problems caused the normally obliging Sir Bobby Robson to question his Wales commitments, while Souness still insists Bellamy refused to play wide for his woeful Newcastle side. Hence the player's 'liar' riposte.

Very much like the self-destructive Nicolas Anelka, who Gerard Houllier removed from Anfield because of his after-hours adventures, Bellamy appears to learn few lessons from his colourful career.

That should worry the ultra-professional Benitez, not least because he needs a goalscorer whose main focus is Liverpool FC in advance of a season when even more demands will be made vis-a-vis Chelsea.

Liverpool would be the 27-year-old's sixth club, during which time he's scored 127 goals in 300 appearances. That average improved at Blackburn last season bringing him a goal every two games in a campaign once more blighted by injury.

In 22 league games (plus five as substitute) he scored 13 goals, adding five more in FA and Carling Cup games.

This will cheer Liverpool fans who must hope that Rafael Benitez proves to be as big an influence on this Premiership bad boy as Mark Hughes clearly was.

The PFA Footballers Who's Who eulogises about Bellamy, describing him as a quality attacker with blistering pace whose ideal partner is a big target-man.

Crouch and Bellamy... Bellamy and Crouch: could they be key to Premiership paradise for Liverpool?

We shall see.

JUNE 20
Benitez confident of Bellamy deal

Sporting Life

Rafael Benitez believes it will be an "easy" decision to make for Craig Bellamy to join Liverpool.

Blackburn confirmed today that they had allowed the Reds permission to speak to the Wales striker.

The 26-year-old is reported to have a clause in his contract which allows any Champions League club to speak to him if they offer £6.5million.

Ewood Park officials confirmed Liverpool had made an official bid and the 26-year-old is now set to enter into negotiations, and Benitez does not doubt that Reds fan Bellamy possesses "the passion" to sign.

"We have an agreement which allows us to talk to the player," Benitez said.

"He is on holiday, but we will talk over the next few days. I know the player's qualities very well. He is a very good footballer and now we need to see if he has the passion to play for our club.

"I don't think this will be a problem because he is a Liverpool fan, so I think it will be easy for him.

"I will be talking to him to express my ideas. He has the ability, the pace and the talent we've been looking for and now we need to talk about other things."

Rovers are keen to hang on to their prize asset who scored 17 goals last season as they qualified for the UEFA Cup.

Manager Mark Hughes spoke with Bellamy yesterday and the club have now reluctantly given Liverpool permission to speak to the former Newcastle player.

"We have made it crystal clear to Craig and his advisors that we want him at Ewood Park," Blackburn chairman John Williams told the club's website www.rovers.co.uk.

"We made him an improved offer before Liverpool declared their interest, an offer that was consistent with our ambition and determination to build on last season's success.

"The decision now rests with the player."

Rovers are reported to have offered Bellamy a new contract in excess of £50,000 a week but the suggestion is the player will actually take a pay cut to move to a club he supported as a boy.

Benitez is keen to find more firepower for his side as he tries to turn them into Premiership title challengers and Bellamy fits the bill after an impressive season with Rovers.

He would add a cutting edge to a misfiring forward line which has already lost Fernando Morientes, sold to Valencia, from last season and Djibril Cisse, who broke his leg just before the World Cup when he was set for a move to Marseille.

The only concern for Benitez had been whether Bellamy was the right character for his closely-knit squad, the player having very publicly fallen out with former boss Graeme Souness at Newcastle which resulted in him being sent to Celtic on loan for six months.

A move to Blackburn followed but Bellamy's insistence of the insertion of a specific clause in his contract suggested he viewed Rovers as a stepping stone to bigger things.

JUNE 8
Benitez accepts Cisse transfer is off

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafa Benitez today admitted Djibril Cisse's latest horrific injury will impact on his summer spending plans.

The Liverpool manager was banking on raising as much as £8m from the sale of Cisse to Marseille or Lyon, with talks reaching an advanced stage just hours before the striker suffered a broken leg in France's last warm-up game.

Cisse suffered a break of the tibia and fibula, ruling him out until at least Christmas, and ending the possibility of an imminent sale.

While Benitez has sympathy for the 25-year-old, from a business perspective the injury has serious repercussions.

Hopes of raising capital to launch bids for certain targets depended on the early sale of players such as Cisse.

Now Benitez must re-assess his options, and may even have to re-consider the futures of other saleable assets to ensure he's not frustrated with his summer re-building plans.

"There are two issues here," said Benitez.

"Firstly, from the players point of view I'm really sorry for Djibril. That's important. It's really unfortunate for him. But it's true it's now impossible for him to be sold.

"We were expecting to sell him to Marseille or Lyon and planned using the money for other players. We were talking to both clubs. Now we won't have this money. We won't expect him to play again until November or December."

However, Benitez insists there will be no problem for manager and player working together next season, despite it being made clear Cisse was being sold.

"It was a professional decision and we were honest with Djibril. There will be no problem when he comes back," added Benitez.

Seville's Daniel Alves - who Benitez hopes to sign imminently - and Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt are Benitez's prime targets, with another striker, likely to be either Darren Bent or Craig Bellamy, also in the manager's sights.

Meanwhile, the Liverpool boss also believes goalkeeper Chris Kirkland should only be allowed to leave Anfield for a fee, despite the fact Wigan sources claim an agreement has already been reached to sign the keeper on loan for the whole season.

MAY 26
Chief Scout McParland's
worldwide search for quality

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

The eternal quest for 'the final piece of the jigsaw' increases in urgency when the transfer window, and chequebook, opens.

For some at Anfield, the close season offers an opportunity for months, or years, of hard work to come to fruition.

When Rafa Benitez parades his recruits at a Press conference in July, he'll be the first to acknowledge the contribution of those behind the scenes who, in some cases, identified the targets, or gave the thumbs up to splash the cash.

Chief Scout Frank McParland is among the key lieutenants entrusted with identifying Liverpool players of the future.

Over the last 11 years, McParland has risen through the ranks in typical Anfield style, without seeking acclaim or publicity, moving from community coach to Academy scout and eventually a senior position at Melwood.

This year, McParland was hugely influential in the return of Robbie Fowler. Alongside the departing Paco Herrera, he also oversaw the signing of five of Liverpool's FA Youth Cup-winning side.

Many of those who arrive this summer will have started their journey with a fax, letter or phone call to McParland's office.

While Benitez is currently in the process of recruiting those who will make the Reds stronger next season, McParland's job is to ensure the manager has numerous options to choose from for years to come.

"On the day after the FA Cup Final, the manager gave me three jobs to do," said McParland, whose mentor during his time at The Academy was the late Jim Aspinall, the scout who brought Fowler and Steve McManaman to the club as schoolboys.

"It shows you how much he's thinking about the future and the importance he gives to this department. It's always going to be an ongoing process.

"It doesn't end when we sign players in the summer. The fact the transfer window is open makes no difference. We'll still be looking at different positions and new players. There will always be work to do, information to find and names to check out."

With football coverage hitting new levels, every fan fancies themselves as a scout nowadays, urging Benitez to sign the latest flavour of the month from the Premiership, La Liga or Serie A.

McParland has more influence than most, and beyond the compulsory requirement of world class ability, he says there's one quality needed above others to catch his eye.

"What separates the greatest players from the rest is their desire," says McParland.

"If you look at players like Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher, beyond their ability, that's the extra they've got.

"Xabi Alonso is similar. There's a determination to win which not all players have. That's one of the biggest things for me when assessing if this manager will like them or not.

"He wants players who are desperate to play for Liverpool, so when you're ticking boxes, desire is right at the top.

"When you come to this club, it's got to get into your blood, and for the most successful players it has. We've had a lot of lads sign here who were Evertonians as kids, but now they're all Liverpool through and through.

"There's something special about this club which means once you're a part of it, there's no-one else."

Fowler is one of the most famous recent examples of this, and McParland can't disguise his pleasure that particular 'gamble' paid off.

"The scouting department was obviously fully aware of Robbie Fowler, because we've known him since he was a kid," explains McParland.

"Ultimately, it was the boss' decision. He had to take a lot of positive and negative things into account, mainly the number of injuries Robbie's had.

"Now you've got to say it's proved a success, because when you bring someone in and he earns a new contract, it shows it's worked.

"Apart from that, we knew Robbie would be a fantastic player to have around the place because he loves it here.

"It comes back to what I said earlier about desire. You put a Liverpool shirt on Robbie Fowler, and you know you're never going to get less than 100 per cent.

"But with scouting, when you sign a player that works, it's very easy to start shouting about it. And then when you get one which isn't a success, it's even easier to say 'he wasn't one of mine'.

"I'd never try and take credit for signing someone, because we're all doing a job for the club. No-one wants to buy adud player, and we've bought some in the past who haven't done as well as expected, and others who've done better than expected.

"It's our job to give the manager the right information and then completely back him."

As expected, there's more chance of locating the holy grail than one of Benitez's staff giving away the identity of this summer's targets.

Suffice to say the leading candidates will be exhaustively hand-picked from acast of thousands.

"If you're spending £1 or £1m it's the same process," McParland explains.

"You never want to waste apenny. Maybe we'll know aplayer from television, agood scout report or because we've been approached by an agent.

"Then we'll investigate and do our own homework. If the player looks good enough, the manager gets involved immediately. He's very much hands on.

"There are an unbelievable amount of players recommended to us. Every day we'll be sent faxes by agents or letters. Sometimes you can disregard them because you know the player already, but there are some cases where you just don't know, so you have to take a look at everything that comes in.

"You have the scouts you trust. If certain people come to us and say 'you've got to sign this player quickly' we'll know we have to move quickly.

"There are good and bad agents, too. There are those who'll come on and tell us they've got a real player and we'll investigate it, and others we'd be more sceptical about. You have to prioritise."

With Herrera leaving the club next month, McParland says his working partner will leave behind a legacy which will continue to benefit the Reds as they strive to maintain what is agolden era.

"On a personal level, Sammy Lee was my best mate in football and when he left it was a big blow to me," says McParland. "Then Paco arrived and brought in a wealth of experience and taught me a hell of a lot about the job. He'll be abig loss.

"He's got an energy for work. We've both worked on the same level with regards the scouting. I don't think there will be great changes, but the boss is always looking to improve the scouting side of things.

"He's also a really nice fella, so he'll also be missed by everyone."

MAY 26
Benitez: Garcia is here to stay

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafa Benitez has explained why he's allowing one of his Spanish stars to leave Anfield - and then quashed rumours another is heading for a shock exit.

Benitez says Fernando Morientes can leave Anfield with his head held high after Liverpool agreed a £3m deal with Valencia for the striker.

But the Anfield boss has moved to end speculation which has swept Mersey-side regarding Luis Garcia's future, insisting: "Luis is part of our long-term plans."

While Morientes' imminent departure comes as no surprise, Garcia has been bizarrely linked with a summer exit, with suggestions his family are unsettled.

However, Benitez insisted today: "I'm really happy with Luis and I know he is happyat Liverpool. He is an important player for us and he is still part of our plans.

"If people are saying he isn't settled here it's not true. He'sscored alot of important goals for us and he wants to continue to score goals and play well forusin the future."

Morientes meanwhile must still agree personal terms with Valencia, but providing the formalities are complete he'll be the first high profile departure of the summer.

Benitez defended the Spanish forward from allegations he'd flopped on Merseyside, insisting he's had a major input to the first stage of Liverpool's development.

"He has contributed a lot since he joined us, butI spoke to him at the end of the season and we agreed if a good Spanish club was interested in him he could talk to them," said Benitez. "Since he joined us he has been a good professional and helped the team a lot.

"He has played mainly as a second striker since he joined, which is a difficult position and you must do a lot of hardwork to create a lot of space for other forwards.

"If you speak to the other strikers, they will all tell you how they liked working alongside him.

"Fernando always tried hard in this position and maybe he didn't always get the credit he deserved for his work.

"He joined Liverpool at an important time and played a key role to us. He's helped a lot of the other players with his attitude and professionalism.

"He joined us as a big star, but his attitude was always good.

"Maybe he's had a bit more of a problem than some of the others such as Luis, Xabi and Pepe in adjusting to England and I know he was also thinking about his family.

"Now he is talking to Valencia and if he doesn't reach an agreement it's still possible he'll come back here.

"But we have an agreement between the clubs and now it's up to Fernando to decide.

"If he does go we will thank him for his work here."

MAY 24
Parry planning for mandatory improvement

Koptalk

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has been talking about how important it is for the club to continue to make improvement.

Last season was deemed a success because Rafa managed to close the gap between ourselves and Chelsea plus of course he brought the FA Cup back to Anfield.

But even while the Reds were in Cardiff, they were already discussing next season's assault on the Premiership.

Parry said: "On the eve of the game I was talking to Rafa about next season. On the morning of the game we were talking about next season. Immediately after our triumph over West Ham we were talking about next season.

"It's the way it has to be. You always have to be thinking one step ahead. It's the nature of the Premier League right now.

"Chelsea, as they toured the streets around their stadium marking their Championship win, revealed that they had signed Germany's World Cup captain and midfielder Michael Ballack. They also suggested that AC Milan's world-class striker Andriy Shevchenko is a target.

"That is the nature of the way they operate right now. The bar is always being raised and we have to be prepared to meet the challenge.

"I can tell you that we have our own plan. We have our targets and all of this is about continuous improvement. We always want to do better than the previous season.

"We secured one of the game's greatest prizes last year when we won the Champions League in Istanbul, but it was not enough. Our final Premier League position was not acceptable and so we set about putting that right in 2005/06. I'm pleased to say that we moved up from fifth to third with a dramatically improved point’s total of 82. The FA Cup was the bonus and one that was thoroughly deserved.

"Once again, we are looking forward and while we know it will not be easy to take the next step, we have a belief that anything is achievable with good management and world class planning."

MAY 18
Gerrard can't wait for Gonzalez

Sporting Life

Steven Gerrard can't wait for Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez to arrive
at Liverpool.

Gerrard believes highly-rated player - nicknamed Speedy because of his electric pace - will fit perfectly into the Anfield system.

Reds officials hope Gonzalez - who has been on loan at Real Sociedad - will be cleared to join the Reds during the summer and Gerrard admits he's excited about the prospect of playing alongside him.

"We actually trained with him for a couple of weeks before he went back to Spain earlier in the season and it was clear to us all then that he's got loads of ability," Gerrard told Liverpool's official website.

"You could see that he's hungry to do well, which is important, and he came across as a good lad as well. That's the type of player we want here - people who are good for team spirit and who'll also do a good job out on the pitch.

"I'm sure Mark is going to do that for us and like everyone, I'm looking forward to his arrival. We've all been following his progress at Real Sociedad via the Spanish football on television and he's been doing really well."

MAY 16
Rafa eager to take the next step

By Adam Bryant - LFC Online

Rafael Benitez wants to build on Liverpool's FA Cup success, and spend the cash needed to strengthen his squad in preparation for an assault on the Premiership next season.

"It's clear to everyone we've made a lot of progress, and now the idea is to take the next step," said the Liverpool boss.

"We've been thinking about the future throughout the season and now we will do so even more because the season is over.

"I'd prefer to bring in new players before the World Cup, but it's not always possible. We may have to wait, but my staff are working hard.

"I hear some people say they never get the credit they deserve when they win trophies, but there are some achievements which are more valuable than others.

"I won't be going away this summer saying we are the best club or that I am the best manager, but it's important people understand how hard my staff and players have had to work for this success because it's not been easy for us. If we get a lot of credit, it's because as a club we deserve it."

MAY 15
Anfield board meeting to discuss key issues

Kop Talk

Liverpool Football Club will hold a board meeting later this week (18th).

Up for discussion on Thursday will be numerous matters including of course Liverpool's progress in the Premier League and of course our FA Cup success.

The board will then be provided with an update on progress in the transfer market. The Reds have already tabled a bid for Charlton's Darrent Bent so the directors will be hoping for an update on that front.

A secret list compiled by Rafael Benitez detailing what players he is prepared to sell will then be handed to the directors. Not all players that the club are prepared to cash in on are told of the club's intentions in case buyers are not found hence why such information must remain confidential.

In other words, players may think their Anfield futures are safe yet in reality the board have them down as available for transfer. If no bids come in, those players were never aware that the club were prepared to sell them so they all remain happy bunnies. I know this is obvious but we're thinking of our younger readers.

Also on the agenda at the meeting will be the fresh investment approach by Robin Herd's consortium. The former Oxford United chairman was set to sit down with Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry earlier today. Any other investment matters will obviously also be discussed.

It has been suggested that chairman David Moores could stand down on Thursday but he's been talking about his hopes for the future at Anfield and they sound like they include him. However, there are whispers that Moores may relinquish control before next season if he is made a life president by any new investors.

MAY 15
Reds gunning for Chelsea's crown

By Paul Walker - PA Sport

Steven Gerrard and the chairman who describes him as "irreplaceable" have both made winning the Premiership crown their number one objective for next season.

Liverpool chairman David Moores, who will spend the next few weeks sifting through the various consortiums wishing to invest in the club, knows the jewel in the crown is Gerrard after the Anfield skipper's goal double won the FA Cup.

Moores said: "The progress we have made this season has been outstanding. I always felt we'd get much closer to Chelsea, but I don't think I expected us to finish with 24 more points than last year.

"We won the Champions League last season, the FA Cup this season and now we want the Premiership. It's the only trophy which has eluded me during my 15 years as chairman and I'd love to see us win it. Hopefully it won't be too long because that's the big one for us.

And as Gerrard settles down for a couple of weeks rest with his family before joining up with England's World Cup squad, he is also thinking already of next season's quest to knock Chelsea off their perch at the top of the domestic game.

Gerrard says: "We know we're capable of going very close to the title next season and that's going to be the target.

"The more trophies like the FA Cup that you win, the more you want. We'll be giving it everything we've got to win the title next season."

Manager Rafael Benitez will be UEFA's guest at Wednesday's Champions League final in Paris between Arsenal and Barcelona when Liverpool will finally no longer be able to call themselves European champions.

And Benitez has already been linked with a whole host of new signings aimed at taking Liverpool closer to the Premier League crown.

He is expected to complete the already-agreed deal to bring Valencia full back Fabio Aurelio to Anfield, while Argentinian defender Gabriel Palleta and on-loan Mark Gonzalez are also due.

Benitez has been linked with Darren Bent, Craig Bellamy, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Steed Malbranque, Yossi Benayoun, Barcelona winger Ludovic Giuly, Benfica defender Luisao and Jermain Pennant all since Saturday's final.

Whether the Spanish boss still wants Djibril Cisse around, or if Fernando Morientes - left out of the Spain World Cup squad today - will stay on, remain to be seen.

Thor Zakariassen ©