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THURSDAY 21 |
Trotters snap up Reds youngster
Highly-rated young Liverpool midfielder Danny Guthrie has
agreed to join Premier League rivals Bolton on a season-long
loan deal.
The 20-year-old playmaker made three appearances for the
Reds last season, including a run-out in the Champions
League.
Guthrie will complete the relevant paperwork when he returns
from his summer holiday.
Wanderers boss Sammy Lee told the club's official website:
"Danny is a dynamic midfielder who is very comfortable on
the ball.
"He has a tremendous work-ethic and has got a great engine.
He is a very good passer who will suit our type of
football."
Guthrie joins fellow new arrivals Gavin McCann, Jlloyd
Samuel, Gerald Cid, Blerim Dzemaili and Zoltan Harsanyi at
the Reebok Stadium.
(TEAMtalk)
Reds' Mancini bid rejected
Roma have reportedly rejected an offer from Liverpool for
Brazilian winger Amantino Mancini.
Rafael Benitez is looking to strengthen his squad for a
Premiership title push next season and Mancini’s name has
allegedly been included in the Coach’s summer wish list.
According to the latest reports in Italy, Liverpool made a
£13m offer for the South American, but it does not seem
likely that he will leave the Stadio Olimpico.
(Channel 4)
Thomas defends Bellamy
Former Wales international Mickey Thomas has leapt to the
defence of Craig Bellamy.
Bellamy was criticised by Alan Shearer when he was linked
with a return to Newcastle yesterday but Mickey Thomas was
quick to defend his countryman from personality free
Shearer.
"There must be some kind of a dislike between Shearer and
Craig. I think what he has said was totally out of order and
completely uncalled for and could be very damaging to a
player's career," said the former Blue.
"He obviously doesn't like Craig and felt it was necessary
to come out and say what he did, but it was totally
disrespectful.
"Don't get me wrong, everyone is entitled to their opinion,
but he's not the manager of the club and it's not up to him
at all who Newcastle sign.
(LFC Online)
Reds face Torres battle
Liverpool will have to top their transfer record if they
want to land Spain striker Fernando Torres.
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo is understood to
have told potential suitors they will have to pay the
£27million release clause in his contract to land him.
There are suggestions a delegation from Liverpool has been
in the Spanish capital looking to tie up a deal before other
clubs can muscle in but the two parties are not thought to
be close to an agreement.
(Sky Sports)
Reds among Champions League top seeds
Liverpool will kick off their Champions League campaign as
the highest ranked side in the qualifying rounds.
The 2005 winners have a higher coefficient than anyone else
fighting for a place in the competition proper.
In fact, the Reds have the third highest coefficient in
Europe based on performances in the last five years – behind
only AC Milan and Barcelona.
This means they'll be among the top seeds if they qualify
for the group stages.
Arsenal have the fifth highest coefficient, with Manchester
United and Chelsea in joint seventh. All this means England
is the only country to have all its sides among
the top seeds.
(LFC Official Website)
Final disappointment for Lucas
Lucas Leiva's dream of arriving at Liverpool as a Copa
Libertadores winner is over after his Gremio side went down
to defeat against Boca Juniors last night.
Boca, leading 3-0 from the first leg in Brazil last week,
sealed their triumph thanks to two Juan Riquelme goals in
the second half to secure a comprehensive 5-0 aggregate
success in the South American equivalent of the European
Champions League competition.
It could have been worse for Gremio in the closing stages
when Martin Palermo - who famously missed three penalties
for Argentina against Colombia at the Copa America in 1999 -
fired wide from the spot after being brought down inside the
area.
Lucas will now enjoy a summer break before arriving on
Merseyside for pre-season training with the Reds next month.
(LFC Official Website) |
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WEDNESDAY 20 |
County chief hits out at Reds
Stockport boss Jim Gannon has blasted Liverpool over their
dealings with three of County's young stars.
Gannon has accused Liverpool of poaching teenage goalkeeper
Ben Robinson and reneging on deals for young midfielders
Greg Tansey and Ryan Crowther.
Liverpool agreed a deal with Stockport to take Tansey and
Crowther to a recent youth tournament in Italy, but Gannon
now expects both players to start the season at Stockport.
"We were approached by Liverpool who said they'd like to
take Greg and Ryan on trial with a view to take them to an
international tournament in Milan," Gannon told the
Manchester Evening News.
"Given that it was the end of the season and a fantastic
opportunity for the two boys, not just to see what Liverpool
was all about but to experience an international tournament,
we agreed.
"Liverpool wanted to agree a deal for both players before
they went away and said if the two players did really well
they'd kick the deal into place.
(Sky Sports)
No Blues deal for Malouda, say Lyon
French outfit Lyon have rejected suggestions they have
already agreed to sell star midfielder Florent Malouda to
Chelsea.
Blues boss Jose Mourinho, along with his Liverpool
counterpart Rafa Benitez, are admirers of the France winger
who has already indicated he wants to quit Stade Gerland.
Chelsea were reportedly on the brink of a deal with Lyon but
the French club's head of communications, Olivier Blanc,
insists an agreement has not been reached.
Blanc declared: "Contrary to what I've heard, there is no
agreement with Chelsea about Malouda, and absolutely nothing
about a swap deal with Lassana Diarra we turned down a
fortnight ago."
(TEAMtalk)
Torres link to Liverpool resurfaces
Liverpool have once again been linked with a move for
Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres.
The Spanish striker will cost around £25m because of a
clause in his contract but reports claims that price will
not put off manager Rafa Benitez.
One report suggests that Liverpool have despatched officials
to Madrid to open talks with Atletico Madrid, who might be
tempted by an offer of former player Luis Garcia in part
exchange.
(Ireland.com)
West Ham game moved
Liverpool's game with West Ham has been postponed.
Liverpool were due to play West Ham in their first home game
of the 2007/8 season on August 15th but that match has now
been postponed because of the Reds' participation in the
Champions League qualifiers.
No date has yet been set for the rearranged fixture.
(LFC Online)
Shearer suprised by Bellamy popularity
Alan Shearer admits he is suprised so many teams want to
sign Craig Bellamy.
Bellamy has plenty of teams chasing him as Liverpool look to
make a profit on the £6m they paid for him last Summer, but
Match of the Day's dullest pundit can't understand the
demand.
"Has no-one learnt their lesson about signing Craig
Bellamy?" said Shearer.
"If only [Liverpool manager] Rafa Benitez had rung me I
would have told him exactly what he was like. I hope there
isn't anything in [the Newcastle reports].
"I was having a few days away in France with [former
Newcastle team-mates] Gary Speed and Steve Harper and the
wives and I picked up the newspaper. I was having a
fantastic day.
"But when I read Bellamy for Newcastle I thought I would
definitely have to have another drink. I had several."
(LFC Online)
Ex-Red joins Chester
Former Liverpool player Richie Partridge is on the verge of
joining Chester City.
Partridge, who only made three first team appearances for
the Reds- all in the Carling Cup, has agreed terms with the
League Two club and will sign for them this week.
"Everything is now agreed and the formalities will be
completed in the next day or so. Richie is just the sort of
quality wide player that we have been looking for, and it is
pleasing to have things agreed," said Chester chairman
Stephen Vaughan.
(LFC Online)
Jose hits back at Reds
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has hit back at 'history' taunts
from Liverpool's fans by pointing out that they have not
scooped the title in 17 years.
Mourinho is undeterred in his resolve to make Chelsea
champions of Europe and the successful Portuguese tactician
is pleased his troops are heading in the right direction.
"Liverpool fans can continue to chant 'no history' at us but
we continue to make it," Mourinho told the club's official
magazine. "They have their history, we have our history.
"They are a club with a history in Europe that Chelsea
doesn't have, and their history is magnificent, but I think
for 17 years they don't win one championship and we won two
in the last three years.
"Of the 12 pieces of silverware in English football in the
last three years, Chelsea won six, Liverpool two, Manchester
United two and Arsenal two, so we won the same number of
pieces of silverware that the other three clubs won all
together. So I think we are going in the right direction.
(Sky Sports) |
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TUESDAY 19 |
Barca rule out sale of star pair
Barcelona chief Joan Laporta insists that star forwards
Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho are not for sale.
Both Nou Camp superstars have been linked with AC Milan in
recent months, and the Rossoneri have confirmed in the past
week that signing Eto'o is their number one priority this
summer.
But Laporta says that despite the Catalan giants missing out
on the La Liga title in the most agonising of fashions to
bitter rivals Real Madrid, both players will still be with
the club next season.
He also says coach Frank Rijkaard will stay in charge of the
team.
Laporta told a press conference: "The club wants Ronaldinho
and Eto'o to stay and the coach agrees."
Laporta added that Eto'o, also linked with Manchester United
and Liverpool, and Ronaldinho have both confirmed they too
want to stay put in Barcelona.
The club are now expected to strengthen considerably in the
transfer market, and Laporta says there will be between four
and six summer signings.
(TEAMtalk)
Liverpool board ready to back Rafa's
spending spree
The American owners of Liverpool have moved to head off
unrest at Anfield by vowing to back manager Rafael Benitez
in the transfer market.
Benitez has become disgruntled over the failure to bring in
new players and there has even been speculation he'll
consider his future.
But co-owner George Sillett said: "I sense a pressure
building to make signings. The fans know that we have huge
regard for Rafa."
Benitez has lost out on several big signings because the
board acted slowly or refused to meet asking prices.
But Gillett insisted money would be made available and there
is no rift, adding: " we are pleased with Rafa and his
strategy. The first part of the plan was to sign a number of
our existing star players on long-term contracts.
"That has been done. Now we're moving onto phase two which
is bringing players in."
(Daily Mail)
Kewell keen on striker role
Harry Kewell is looking forward to playing as a striker for
Australia.
Socceroos boss Graham Arnold is set to use Harry Kewell as a
striker during the Asia Cup next month. It's a role the
Liverpool midfielder is looking forward to.
"It's one of my favourite positions, I won't deny that, and
I'm quite sure a lot of players love that position because
it's a main position," he said.
"He's [Arnold] said that's obviously a formation that we can
play. A lot of managers say that about a lot of teams and a
lot of players.
"Once we know our opponents, once we sit down and we study
them a little bit more we'll know the formations to play and
if I am to play up front or behind or left side that's
fantastic, I mean I just want to be playing."
(LFC Online)
Spurs game rearranged
Liverpool's home game against Tottenham Hotspur has been
rearranged.
Liverpool were supposed to host Spurs at Anfield on October
6th but the game has been put back 24 hours because of the
London club's participation in the UEFA Cup.
(LFC Online)
Cisse set for new l'OM loan
Marseille and Liverpool are close to agreeing a new loan
deal for Djibril Cisse, according to L'Equipe.
The France international striker spent last season at the
Stade Velodrome and is happy to remain for a further season
after l'OM qualified for the UEFA Champions League.
Bolton and Benfica have also been linked with a bid for
Cisse, but it appears Marseille are set to reach an accord
with The Reds.
The deal is likely to include the option for Marseille to
sign the 25-year-old front man for a pre-determined fee next
summer.
Barcelona's Ludovic Giuly is another priority for l'OM, who
are on the lookout for a replacement for Franck Ribery.
Monaco also want the Barca attacker but Marseille sport
director Jose Anigo hopes to steal a march on their rivals.
"We are in talks. We are trying but it is not that easy,"
Anigo said.
(Sky Sports)
Thor Zakariassen
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