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SUNDAY 15 |
Riera won't go on the cheap
Espanyol have warned any interested clubs it will take €24
million (£19 million) to prise Albert Riera from the Spanish
club this summer.
Riera has been strongly linked with a move to join Rafa
Benitez’s Spanish contingent at Anfield and the player has
hardly committed his future to his current employers.
While Espanyol president Daniel Sanchez Llibre claims he has
received no offers at present, he has stated that potential
suitors will have to match Riera’s release clause if they
are to sign the former Manchester City man.
“We have not had an offer for Albert Riera,” Llibre told the
Catalan press.
“I am disappointed with his quotes in the press but I warn
him that if
a good offer does not arrive then he will stay at the club.
“This is clear and if Riera is not happy at Espanyol then if
someone matches his value then it will all be resolved.”
(Setanta Sports)
United winger pleads for Liverpool move
Newcastle United winger James Milner has begged to be
allowed to leave for Liverpool, according to reports.
(Sunderland Echo)
Liverpool on alert after Bentley
tell's Blackburn: I'm leaving
David Bentley has insisted he will be leaving Blackburn
Rovers this summer - but says it will be up to the Ewood
Park club where he ends up,
The former Arsenal trainee has been constantly linked with a
move to Liverpool this summer, with Anfield boss Rafa
Benitez said to be
a big fan.
But reports in some quarters suggest Liverpool may face a
battle to get Bentley, as the player is keen to leave the
North West.
Bentley has been at Ewood Park since 2005 and has emerged as
one of the brightest young talents in England.
He has already broken into the national side but he admits
his ambitions can no longer be satisfied at Blackburn.
The 23-year-old has informed Rovers he wants to go and he
now hopes to secure a transfer to a club playing in the UEFA
Champions League.
"I made it clear to the club what I wanted to do," Bentley
told
Sky Sports News.
"My situation is I want to move on, I want to be playing
Champions League football, I want to be playing in Europe."
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Villa drops Liverpool hint
David Villa has dropped perhaps his biggest hint yet that a
summer move to Liverpool would be of interest to him.
The Spain international’s stock continues to rise, with his
late winner against Russia on Saturday taking his Euro 2008
goal tally to four.
Valencia remain steadfast in their reluctance to let Villa –
publically at least – but it is no secret that financial
constraints could force their hand.
Chelsea could also turn be tempted to turn to Villa, but it
seems that a move to Anfield is what would be most appealing
to the striker.
"Liverpool and Chelsea are both big clubs with a lot of
attraction," he said in the News of the World.
"Liverpool have a Spanish coach and I also have a lot of
friends there,"
he said.
"When Rafa [Benitez] was coach at Valencia and I was at
Zaragoza there was contact about me joining Valencia but I
couldn't arrive until the year after he left there."
(Setanta Sports) |
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SATURDAY 14 |
Torres off the mark in Spain victory
Fernando Torres opened his account for Euro 2008 with a
superb first-half strike as Spain left it late to claim a
2-1 win over Sweden in a tight
Group D clash in Innsbruck.
The Reds striker, who featured for the whole 90 minutes,
grabbed his first goal of the competition on the quarter of
an hour mark when he showed tremendous athleticism to guide
home David Silva's left-wing cross.
It was a lead the Spaniards held for just 19 minutes as
Sweden hit back courtesy of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's cool
finish.
It looked like being enough to earn a point for Lars
Lagerback's team as Spain struggled to make their dominance
count in a frustrating second-half, until David Villa raced
through in injury-time to score a goal that has all-but
assured his country of a place in the last eight of the
tournament.
(LFC Official Website)
Parry: Don't bother bidding for Torres
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has dismissed
speculation linking star striker Fernando Torres with a move
to Chelsea this summer.
The Spanish hitman enjoyed a sensational first season in the
Premier League but his performances did not go unnoticed.
Reports last month suggested that Chelsea were ready to test
Liverpool's resolve with a £50million offer.
The Reds stressed that Torres would not be going anywhere
and the player himself also spoke of his happiness at
Anfield.
The appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari has once again led to
speculation that Torres could be set to move to Stamford
Bridge.
However, Liverpool are standing firm and have warned any
potential suitors not to waste their time pursuing the
24-year-old.
"Fernando Torres is just not for sale to anyone," Parry told
the club's official website. "It is as simple as that,
really - he is not going anywhere."
(TEAMtalk)
Juve cool on Xabi?
Juventus are reportedly no longer keen on signing Xabi
Alonso.
The Italian side were set to sign the Liverpool midfielder
and had met Alonso's agent to discuss terms. However,
Juventus are reportedly switching their interest to Bayern
Munich's Bastein Schweinsteiger after refusing to meet
Liverpool's valuation of Alonso.
This also casts doubt over the signing of Gareth Barry as
Rafael Benitez was going to use the money raised by selling
Alonso to fund the move for the Aston Villa captain.
(LFC Online) |
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FRIDAY 13 |
Kuyt on target as Dutch destroy France
Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring as Holland
continued their impressive start to Euro 2008 by defeating
France 4-1 on Friday night. Kuyt headed home from a corner
inside 20 minutes to give Marco Van Basten’s side the lead.
Holland, who defeated World Champions Italy 3-1 in their
opening game, were impressive again with Kuyt replaced at
half time allowing Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie to
combine to make it 2-0.
Thierry Henry made it 2-1 with a deft flick from a cross but
Holland restored their two goal lead within seconds of the
re-start, Robben firing home from an obscure angle. The
impressive Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder added a
fourth in the final seconds to gauruntee they win the ‘group
of death’.
The Dutch face Romania next Tuesday, who can go through to
the quarter finals with a win, while France and Italy - the
last World Cup Finalists - will hope the Romanians don’t get
the win they need and will battle out it for the right to go
through with Holland.
(This is Anfield)
Agent: No offers for Riise
John Arne Riise’s agent has revealed Liverpool are yet to
receive any concrete offers for the left back, but insists
there is plenty of interest.
Riise appears to be heading for the exit door at Anfield
after Rafa Benitez confessed he would sell the Norwegian at
the right price.
Liverpool have also been heavily involved in negotiations
for Udinese left back Andrea Dossena who, according to the
player’s agent, will sign in
the near future.
Riise has been linked to Aston Villa, Newcastle and Celtic
among a host of clubs, although Roma are believed to be
favourites for his signature.
However, agent Jan Kvalheim revealed nobody has matched The
Reds’
£5 million asking price.
“There are various clubs that have asked information on the
player in
the last weeks,” Kvalheim was quoted as saying on Italian
website romanews.
“But there has been absolutely nothing concrete yet."
(Setanta Sports)
Italian giants 'strike Alonso deal'
Reports in Italy claim that Juventus and Liverpool have
agreed terms over the transfer of Xabi Alonso to the Serie A
giants.
The Bianconeri have been pursuing the Spain international
since the end of the season but the two clubs have been
haggling over a transfer fee for a player who remains very
much a fans’ favourite at Anfield.
Corriere dello Sport claims that a figure of €18 million
(£14.2 million) has been agreed upon and that Juve officials
will now travel to England to finalise the minor details of
the deal.
Alonso recently spoke of his admiration for the Turin club
and Liverpool are deep in negotiations to sign his
replacement, Garth Barry, having had two bids for the
England international rejected by Aston Villa.
Juve appear to have increased their offer for Alonso after
admitting defeat in their attempts to sign Roma’s Alberto
Aquilani.
The Italy international is expected to stay with Roma
despite contract negotiations dragging on and Juve president
Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has conceded the player will not be
heading to Turin.
The Bianconeri supremo told TSO: “For Aquilani there is an
interest but there are no negotiations because I believe he
will stay at Roma.”
(Setanta Sports)
Torres dismisses rumours
Fernando Torres has not fallen out with Luis Aragones.
It had been suggested that the Liverpool striker had fallen
out with his national coach after being subsituted during
Spain's 4-1 win over Russia on Monday. However, the rumour
has been dismissed as nonsense.
"There is no problem. I have spoken to the coach and know it
was just another change. I have no problems with him," said
Torres.
"It seems a shame that so much importance is placed on this
when Spain won 4-1.
"The rules of the dressing room, that Luis taught me when I
was 16 are those that have worked for me now and what is
said in the dressing room stays there.
"I would never make a rude gesture to a coach and the squad
are completely behind him."
(LFC Online)
O'Neill rejects latest Barry bid from Liverpool
Liverpool remain hopeful that they can reach agreement with
Aston Villa and sign Gareth Barry, despite their third bid
for the England midfielder being rejected yesterday. Villa's
manager, Martin O'Neill, will only entertain offers in
excess of £15m; Liverpool's latest bid is understood to have
valued Barry at £13m.
O'Neill told the BBC last night: "Gareth and I had a little
chat when he got back from holiday and he has said he would
fancy going to Liverpool. That's obviously a big setback to
us, but the offer from Liverpool is just not acceptable."
He added: "If Manchester United are having a struggle
keeping hold of [Cristiano] Ronaldo, I guess the rest of us
have a bit of trouble."
Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, has a transfer fund
of just over £20m and the rest of his budget depends on how
much he raises through player sales.
(Guardian)
Thor Zakariassen
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