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THURSDAY 6 |
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Alves still hopes for Reds move
Sevilla star Daniel Alves is still hoping to secure a move
to Liverpool despite the deal stalling.
Liverpool have been chasing the Brazilian for some time, but
have been frustrated in their attempts to lure him to
Anfield.
Liverpool have already seen two bids rejected for Alves with
Sevilla determined to keep hold of the versatile performer.
Sevilla are reportedly holding out for around £10 million
and Liverpool are unwilling to go that high for Alves.
A number of other clubs are waiting in the wings to sign
Alves, but the player's agent Jose Rodriguez Baster insists
Alves has his heart set on a move to Liverpool.
"It is true that at the moment there are difficulties with
the deal," Baster told skysports.com.
"There is an economic difference between what Sevilla are
demanding and what Liverpool are willing to pay.
"We need to try and reach a compromise and we will try to do
this in the next few days."
(Sky Sports)
Joaquin holding out Real hope
Liverpool target Joaquin is reportedly waiting on a possible
move to Real Madrid.
The Real Betis winger, who has recently returned from World
Cup duty with Spain in Germany, has been linked with a
£15million transfer to Anfield this summer while Chelsea are
also long-term admirers.
But according to Spanish daily Marca, the 24-year-old will
only consider his Premiership options if Los Merengues
decide against making him an offer.
Real president Ramon Calderon did not include the purchase
of Joaquin in his electoral propaganda, but his new coach
Fabio Capello is believed to be keen on the Spanish
international.
Joaquin has made it clear he intends to leave the
Sevilla-based club for a new challenge although Betis
president Pepe Leon admits he will cash in if the right
offer comes along.
He said: "Betis would be equally happy to keep Joaquin or to
have their coffers full.
"There have always been a lot of teams after the player, but
nobody has yet decided to make the final move."
(ITV Football)
Reds deny swoop for Joaquin
Liverpool completed the signing of a world class left winger
yesterday - but rubbished reports that Real Betis
right-winger Joaquin was also about to join Mark Gonzalez at
Anfield.
As Rafael Benitez's dogged pursuit of Chilean star Gonzalez
finally reached a successful conclusion - with the
Department for Education and Employment granting a work
permit - Spanish news agency AS reported an imminent £12m
Reds bid for Real Betis star Joaquin.
The agency bizarrely claimed that Liverpool were willing to
offer £12 million plus fringe players Jerzy Dudek, Bolo
Zenden and Antonio Barragan - with the cash component split
into two instalments.
But the Reds instantly dismissed the report.
"It's simply not true," said chief executive Rick Parry. "We
have no idea where the story came from."
(Liverpool Echo)
Cisse 'very close' to l'OM switch
Marseille chairman Pape Diouf believes the French club are
now 'very close' to tying up a deal for Liverpool striker
Djibril Cisse.
The French international is currently recovering from a
broken leg that ruined his dreams of playing in the World
Cup finals, but talks have been ongoing over his club future
and a one-year loan deal is now close to being secured.
The striker is expected to join the Stade Velodrome outfit
in October after substantial rest and recuperation due to
his serious injury, and Diouf is confident that a loan deal
will be clinched in the coming days.
"We are very close to an agreement," Diouf told
l'Yonne-Republicaine.
"We think it will be a one-year loan deal.
"I still have a few details to discuss with Rick Parry, this
agreement has to be allowed by his board of directors but I
hope it will be alright.
"Things can happen very quickly now.
"We will only announce Cisse's signing after the papers have
been signed.
"I talk to Djibril every day on the phone, for him he is
already a Marseille player."
(Sky Sports)
Spurs in Kewell link
Tottenham have been linked with a move to bring Liverpool's
Australian winger Harry Kewell to White Hart Lane.
The search for a wide left sided player has seen Spurs boss
Martin Jol linked with a host of players including
Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing, Anderlecht's Christian
Wilhelmsson, Chelsea's Damien Duff and free agent Denilson
and now Kewell has been added to that list.
(EatSleepSport)
Liverpool star denies club assaults
Premiership footballer Craig Bellamy yesterday denied two
assault charges.
The case involving the 26-year-old Welsh striker of Rumney,
Cardiff, follows an alleged incident at the city's No 10
nightclub on February 5this year.
Bellamy recently signed for Liverpool FC . He denied
assaulting two women - Holly Smith and Sophie Palmer.
Bellamy's solicitor, Matthew De Maid, told Cardiff
Magistrates' Court the footballer was "adamant" in his
denials of the allegations and said his motivation was to
clear his name.
Asecond man, Franklin Lynch, 52, of Glan-y-Mor, Barry,
appeared in the dock with Bellamy, and denied acharge of
common assault on Sophie Palmer.
Deputy District Judge Mark Layton adjourned the hearing for
apre-trial review on July 18, which the defendants are not
required to attend.
Both were released on unconditional bail and a trial was
provisionally listed
for August 29 and 30.
(Daily Post) |
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WEDNESDAY 5 |
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Hamann on brink of City switch
Manchester City are poised to complete the signing of
veteran midfielder Dietmar Hamann after his move to Bolton
collapsed.
Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce was on the brink of signing
Liverpool's former Germany international until the
32-year-old stalled, claiming his wife was against the
transfer.
Allardyce then pulled out, leaving Stuart Pearce to step in,
with the hope now Hamann will sign a two-year contract
before the weekend.
If Hamann puts pen to paper he will become Pearce's second
signing of the summer following the capture of Ousmane Dabo
from Lazio.
(TEAMtalk)
Rafa's delight as Reds win Gonzalez appeal
Rafael Benitez was celebrating today after Chilean
international Mark Gonzalez was given the green light to
begin his Liverpool career.
The left winger was granted a work permit after a successful
hearing on Wednesday morning, and Benitez believes
23-year-old Gonzalez is a player who will not only enhance
his team but also excite the supporters.
"This is very good news for us and I am absolutely delighted
to welcome Mark Gonzalez to Liverpool as he is a player the
supporters will like to see," Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv.
"Mark is an exciting left winger who can cross good balls
and beat defenders and he is a very good signing for us. He
has a very good mentality as when I was talking with him he
told me, 'I want to play for Liverpool'."
(LFC Official Website)
Reds confirm Aurelio capture
Liverpool have secured the capture of Fabio
Aurelio, with the Brazilian left back putting pen to paper
on a four-year deal at Anfield this afternoon.
Aurelio won a Spanish La Liga title under Benitez at
Valencia and becomes the first Brazilian to play for
Liverpool.
"Fabio is a player with a lot of quality and he is a really
good signing for us," Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv.
"His technical ability is fantastic and he has a great left
foot and provides the team with a lot of options. He has a
really good mentality and he is a winner."
(LFC Official Website)
Morientes completes Valencia move
Striker Fernando Morientes has passed a medical to complete
his transfer from Liverpool to Spanish club Valencia.
Morientes, 30, has signed a three-year contract after
Liverpool accepted a bid of about £3m.
He scored 12 goals in 61 matches during a largely
disappointing 18-month spell at Anfield after joining from
Real Madrid for £6.3m in 2005.
"I'm happy to start a new chapter in my career with this
club and in this city," he told Valencia's club website.
Morientes has scored 26 times in 43 internationals for
Spain, but a poor run of form saw him left out of the 2006
World Cup squad.
He is expected to share the attacking duties at Valencia
with Spanish international
David Villa.
(BBC Sport Online)
Liverpool say goodbye to a legend
Liverpool have said goodbye to Frank Skelly
following more than 30 years service to the club.
The unsung hero has retired from his position as Academy
operations manager to spend more time with his family.
Frank began scouting for the Reds at the request of Tom
Saunders in 1973 when Bill Shankly was manager.
He also worked as a coach, masseur and youth co-ordinator
before spending the last decade working alongside Steve
Heighway at the Academy.
Talking about leaving the club, Frank said: "I feel very sad
because I have been with the club for a long time but with a
young grandson and another one coming, I just thought it was
the right time to ease out of things."
(Kop Talk)
Fowler slams Carra critics
Robbie Fowler today leapt to the defence of Jamie Carragher
after his Liverpool team-mate came under-fire for missing a
penalty in England's World Cup quarter-final defeat.
The Anfield striker was dismayed by reports which claimed
Carragher lacked 'bottle' in the penalty shoot-out against
Portugal and backed the 28-year-old to bounce back from the
experience.
In his exclusive World Cup column in today's ECHO, Fowler
says: "When the chips are down, Carra is one of the first
players you would want alongside you in the trenches."
(Liverpool Echo)
Beardsley backs Gerrard
Peter Beardsley believes Steven Gerrard should be the next
England captain.
Former Red Beardsley believes the Liverpool skipper is the
ideal candidate to succeed David Beckham as England captain.
"Steven has done a fantastic job for his club and leads by
example," said Beardsley.
"In many ways he is a more obvious candidate to lead England
than Beckham ever was."
(LFC Online) |
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TUESDAY 4 |
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Reds back in for Joaquin
Reports in Spain claim Liverpool have rekindled
their interest in Real Betis star Joaquin.
Reds boss Rafa Benitez is desperate to bring in a
right-sided midfielder and has been chasing Sevilla's Daniel
Alves.
However, he appears to have been priced out of a move for
the Brazilian having refused to meet the Primera outfit's
asking price.
It now seems he has retrained his sights on Joaquin whom he
was linked with
last season.
(Sky Sports)
Paletta puts pen to paper on Reds deal
Rafael Benitez today welcomed Gabriel Paletta into the
Liverpool fold and immediately insisted our latest signing
has the qualities to match the inspirational leadership of
Jamie Carragher.
The young Argentinian defender was at Melwood yesterday for
the first day of pre-season training but put pen to paper on
a 4-year contract today.
Having followed the youngster's progress for some time,
Benitez was delighted to have secured Paletta's signature
and said: "I've worked with other Argentinian defenders in
the past and there is a good tradition of tough, aggressive
and tactically strong defenders from the country.
"Paletta is very tough and he's exactly the sort of player
we need who will suit the Premiership. When you talk about
the Argentinian defenders I worked with in Valencia, Paletta
is more like Ayala than Pellegrino. If you're talking about
Liverpool, he's more like Carra than Sami Hyypia. This is
good because we will have a balance in the style
of defenders."
(LFC Official Website)
Reds striker leaves Anfield
Liverpool striker Roman Calliste has signed for Scunthorpe
on a free transfer.
The 20-year-old Welsh Under-21 international has signed a
one-year deal that was offered to him by manager Brian Laws.
Calliste was the leading goalscorer in the reserves last
season.
(Kop Talk)
Carragher backs Gerrard
Jamie Carragher wants his Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard
to be named as the new England skipper.
New England chief Steve McClaren must decide on a
replacement for David Beckham ahead of the build-up to the
Euro 2008 qualifiers next term, and the two clear favourites
are Gerrard and Chelsea's John Terry.
"The captain has to be someone who is one of the first names
on the team-sheet, someone who has the respect of the other
players and someone who has good leadership qualities,"
Carragher told Liverpoolfc.tv: "Stevie and John Terry have
got all that. But, from my own point of view, having played
under Stevie at Liverpool and seen how well he captains the
side, I'd like it to be him."
He added: "When you look back at the way he played in
Cardiff in the FA Cup final and in Istanbul in the Champions
League final, you'd have to say there can't be too many
players around who are more inspirational than him."
(Football 365)
Carra: Don't hand me sympathy
Jamie Carragher will not now have a World Cup winners medal
to take around Bootle schools along with the Champions
League gong he won so gloriously in Istanbul last year.
And he may well be one of the three failed penalty takers
whose misses ultimately put stuttering England out of their
World Cup misery.
But the Liverpool centre-half doesn't want anyone to feel
sorry for him or to think for a second that he will view his
past 12 months as anything other than a success - and with
good reason.
Looking back fondly on FA Cup and European Super Cup glory,
Carragher has another two medals to add to his collection
and, though disappointed at England's failure in Germany, he
isn't about to let it detract from his achievements at club
level.
"What happened in the shoot-out is one of those things that
happens in football and you just have to get on with it," he
said.
"Of course I wish my penalty had gone in and I wish Stevie's
and Frank's had and Iwish England were still in the
tournament. But it didn't turn out like that so you just
have to accept it and move on.
"The fact is we didn't go out because we lost on penalties.
We went out because we didn't do enough to win the game
during the 90 minutes.
"Even when we had 11 men we hadn't taken the lead and when
it comes down to penalties anything can happen."
(Liverpool Echo)
Reds confirm two new friendlies
Liverpool have today confirmed two new friendlies to go with
the games already announced against Wrexham, Crewe and FSV
Mainz 05 in Germany.
The Reds will take on German Second Division side FC
Kaiserslautern on Saturday July 29. While kick-off time is
still to be confirmed, the match will take place at
Sportplatz Eschen-Mauren at Eschen in Liechtenstein.
The game will be followed by a match against Grasshopper
Club Zürich on Tuesday August 1. Kick-off time is still to
be confirmed but the game will will take place at Stadium
Hardturm in Zürich.
(LFC Official Website)
Grip blasts Carragher
Tord Grip has criticised Jamie Carragher for not knowing the
rules during a penalty shoot-out.
Sven Goran Eriksson's right-hand man was not impressed with
the Liverpool defender's explanation regarding his first
penalty that was disallowed by referee Horacio Elizondo.
Carragher forgot to wait for Elizondo's whistle before
striking his spot kick into the net, with the defender
seeing his second effort saved by Portugal goalkeeper
Ricardo Pereira.
Grip was baffled by Carragher's explanation, stating they
simulated all aspects of a penalty shoot-out in training.
"If that was his explanation we'll take it from there, but
he should have known," Grip told The Sun.
"When we practiced penalties, we always blew the whistle
before the players took them.
"Carragher should know anyway because he's been involved in
a shoot-out recently.
"Wasn't he one of Liverpool's penalty takers in the
Champions League final against AC Milan?
"Usually, he is a good penalty taker, one of the best. But
the rule is the same, whether it's in a shoot-out or during
normal time.
"It's been the same for years."
(Sky Sports)
Reds to go straight into group stage?
Liverpool could go straight into the group stages of the
Champions League without having to play a qualifier.
FIFA's suspension of Greece and its member clubs from
international competition because of government interference
in the sport could result in Liverpool going straight into
the group stage of the Champions League.
If FIFA's suspension of Greece is upheld, Olympiakos will
not be allowed to take part in this season's Champions
League. As things stand Olympiakos have qualified for the
group stages. However, if they are banned from the
competition Liverpool, as highest ranked seeds in the 3rd
qualifying round, will take their automatic place in the
group stage of the European Cup.
(LFC Online)
Liverpool in talks with defender?
Liverpool have emerged as clear favourites to land Tunisian
international defender Hatem Trabelsi, according to reports.
Claims are suggesting that talks are at an advanced stage
with the right-back - who is now a free agent following his
five-year spell with Ajax.
(Clubcall Sports)
Pearce moves in to try and get Hamann
Manchester City are tracking Dietmar Hamann as the Liverpool
midfielder's proposed move to Bolton Wanderers looks set to
finally collapse.
Now Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce is ready to offer
Hamann the two-year deal he is seeking, although there are a
number of substantial obstacles City must overcome for the
move to become a reality.
(Daily Post)
Reds begin pre-season training
A number of Liverpool players who didn't appear in the World
Cup began pre-season training at Melwood yesterday.
Fabio Aurelio's move to Liverpool hasn't quite yet been
formalised, but his four-year contract is expected to be
penned in the next few days, while Mark Gonzalez is
scheduled to discover tomorrow at his work permit hearing
whether he can begin his Anfield career.
Liverpool's England contingent have been given a fortnight's
holiday. Gary Ablett was at Melwood to begin his role as new
reserve team manager.
As part of their preparations for the new campaign,
Liverpool visit Wrexham on July 15 and Crewe on July 22
before setting off for their regular Austrian training camp
at Bad Ragaz on July 25.
Benitez's side will play Mainz on August 4 and hope to have
another two friendlies organised for the stay in Austria
before returning for the Champions League third qualifying
round first leg on August 9 and the Community Shield clash
with Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium on August 13.
(Daily Post)
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Thor Zakariassen
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