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FRIDAY 6 |
Alonso keen on Juve move
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is waiting to hear from
Juventus after admitting he would be open to a move to
Turin.
The Spain international has been closely linked with a
switch to the Serie A giants after four seasons in England
with the Reds.
“I am waiting,” Alonso told Gazzetta dello Sport from
Spain’s training base in Neustift.
“I know that Juve are interested and I also know there has
been contact with Liverpool and with my agent.
“I am really very proud that a club so strong and historic
as Juve like me. Juve is a very special club and one that I
like.”
The 26-year-old, who has a contract with Liverpool until
2012, believes he would have no problem adapting to life in
Serie A.
“It has nothing to do with characteristics or where you
are,” he said.
“A good player feels comfortable anywhere.
“After four years in the Liga and four in the Premiership,
to play in Italy would be like completing my career.”
(BreakingNews.ie)
Dossena delight at Reds deal
Andrea Dossena is delighted to become the first Italian
international
to play for Liverpool
The Udinese left-back will complete his move to Anfield in
the coming days after undergoing a medical on Merseyside
earlier this week.
Speaking exclusively to skysports.com, Dossena's agent
Federico Pastorello revealed his client's delight at signing
for Liverpool.
"I understand he is the first Italian international to play
for Liverpool -
a great opportunity for him and he is really happy,"
Pastorello revealed.
Dossena is expected to finalise his transfer in the next 48
hours before being unveiled by The Reds next week in a deal
believed to be worth around £7million.
"He had his medical on Wednesday and we are just awaiting
the formalities of that but we would think everything will
be signed very shortly," he continued.
"An agreement between the clubs was hard, but we all found
it and everything is now ready."
(Sky Sports)
Bentley next for Rafa
Rafa Benitez will turn his attentions to Blackburn's
David Bentley once he has secured the signing of Gareth
Barry from Aston Villa.
The England star is expected to be one of a number of high
profile exits from Ewood Park this summer following Mark
Hughes' defection to Eastlands and Benitez will be ready to
pounce given the first opportunity.
(Clubcall Sports)
Liverpool dismiss ground-share talk
Tom Hicks has slammed suggestions Liverpool are ready to
share a stadium with bitter rivals Everton.
The Daily Post yesterday reported that the North West
Development agency had asked the club’s American owners to
reconsider their stance.
It had been suggested elsewhere that given the current
global credit crunch, Hicks and his feuding partner George
Gillett might be ready for
a rethink.
Hicks, however, insists a shared stadium is not on
Liverpool’s agenda and has no interest in even considering
it.
A spokesman for Hicks yesterday said: “There is no interest
in a shared stadium and no planned meeting to discuss this.”
(Daily Post)
Chester friendly planned
Liverpool are to play Chester in a pre-season friendly.
The Reds will face Chester at the Deva Stadium on July 12th.
The League Two side are hopeful Rafael Benitez will send a
strong squad for
the game.
"Liverpool don't have any other fixtures on that day so
we're hoping for
a fair turnout from their first team," said City boss Simon
Davies.
"It's going to be a great day for the fans - and a great
challenge for
the players as well.
"We've spoken to a lot of big clubs about friendlies and
credit to Liverpool for taking us up on the offer."
(LFC Online) |
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THURSDAY 5 |
Liverpool go cool on Aaron Ramsey
Liverpool's interest in Aaron Ramsey is unlikely to lead to
a formal offer being made for the Welsh wonderkid.
The Reds have monitored Ramsey’s progress for more than a
year and Rafa Benitez is an admirer of his obvious talent
but the Liverpool manager knows his priority is to improve
the first team this summer and is reluctant to spend a
sizeable chunk of his transfer budget on a teenager with
just
22 games to his name.
Cardiff City have accepted bids in the region of £5m for the
17-year-old midfielder from Man United, Everton and Arsenal
but at that price, Liverpool’s interest is likely to cool.
Benitez has identified several areas of his squad which he
is keen
to strengthen with the full-back and wide positions being
top of his list and Liverpool’s transfer activity will be
centred on those areas.
Philipp Degen has already been snapped up and Liverpool are
waiting for the formalities of Andrea Dossena’s medical to
be completed before finalising his transfer from Udinese.
(Liverpool Echo)
Masch helps Argentina to friendly win
Javier Mascherano featured for Argentina as they beat Mexico
4-1 in
a friendly in San Diego as part of their USA tour.
The Reds number 20 started the game and the goals for
Argentina came from Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Nicolas
Burdisso and Maxi Rodriguez.
Argentina next face USA on Sunday.
(LFC Official Website)
Caravalho is the toughest for Torres
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres believes Chelsea’s Ricardo
Carvalho is the best of a bad bunch among defenders in the
Barclays Premier League.
Torres insists defenders’ reliance on brawn over brain has
made his life in England easier than expected.
The 24-year-old found the net 24 times in the top flight in
2007-08 –
the most successful debut season ever by foreigner in
goalscoring terms.
He insists he met his toughest opponent in Chelsea’s
Portuguese centre-half, who he rates above Carvalho’s Blues
team-mate and England captaincy candidate John Terry.
“Terry is captain so gets a much higher profile. But he’s
only secondary
to Carvalho,” Torres told The Sun.
“Ricky is superb. He has every quality that is needed.”
Torres added: “The central defenders (in the Premier League)
are usually big, strong, aggressive lads. I guess it is
probably because of these characteristics that the majority
think they can solve problems by getting tough with me.
“But the truth is most of them lack defensive positioning as
a result of their reliance on strength and aggression and
leave so much space for
you to take advantage of.”
(BreakingNews.ie) |
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WEDNESDAY 4 |
Agent: Alonso future up to Liverpool
Xabi Alonso’s agent insists that Liverpool hold all the
cards in the ongoing transfer saga that is tipping his
client to join Juventus.
The Spanish international’s future has been in serious doubt
for months following an injury-riddled campaign at Anfield,
and the agent confirmed that talks between Juventus and
Liverpool which began yesterday
are still ongoing.
“Juventus have expressed their interest in buying Xabi,”
said Ignacio Ibanez. “The clubs held talks and they will
continue.
“Today it depends on Liverpool, I mean they have to decide
if they want to sell their player, or not.
“As far as I’m concerned, I am waiting in the wings.”
(Goal.com)
Harry won't break bank for Crouch
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp insists that he will not
be held
to ransom over a summer move for Liverpool striker Peter
Crouch.
Liverpool have slapped a £15million price tag on the England
international, a fee which Portsmouth are refusing to pay.
Redknapp admits that he is keen to bring the striker back
for a second spell at Fratton Park, but will not pay over
the odds in order to get
his man.
Crouch is desperate to find regular first-team football,
while Pompey are keen to boost their attacking options, a
situation which is ensuring that both parties are keen for a
solution to be found.
"I don't know if the avenue for Peter Crouch is shut or
not," Redknapp
told The News.
"If Liverpool are asking £15m for him it is certainly shut.
"I like Peter, but he belongs to Liverpool at the moment.
"If the price is right something could happen. If they
wanted £10m it would certainly be more interesting. We do
need another front man."
(TEAMtalk)
Finnan considers Irish return
Steve Finnan has revealed he is considering coming out of
international retirement to play for new Republic of Ireland
boss Giovanni Trapattoni.
The Liverpool defender announced his decision to quit the
international arena after Ireland failed to qualify for Euro
2008.
Trapattoni is keen to persuade Finnan along with Andy
O'Brien and Stephen Ireland to return to the international
fold and full-back Finnan
says he is planning to hold talks with Trapattoni about
returning for
the Irish.
"We're going to have a chat," Finnan told Liverpool's
official website "When a new manager comes in that's normal,
and out of respect you have to do so.
"The opportunity to work with someone of that experience is
very tempting. He's got a great CV and he's done really well
at lots of clubs. Everyone in my position would consider it.
"No deadline's been put on making a final decision but I
take it he'll want
to know before the first World Cup qualifier."
(Sky Sports)
Dossena flies in
to sign Liverpool FC deal
Andrea Dossena was today undergoing a medical ahead of his
expected £7m move to Liverpool.
The Italian left back is due to get married this weekend but
such is his desire to sign for the Reds he has taken time
out from his wedding preparations to fly to Merseyside to
undergo his medical.
A fee in the region of £7m has been agreed with Udinese and
terms have also been agreed with the player who was revealed
as Rafa Benitez's number one target for the left back
position last month.
The deal to sign him was held up by Udinese's initial
demands with
the Serie A club seeking up to £8m for the 26-year-old but a
compromise has now been reached and, barring any last minute
hitches, Dossena will become Liverpool's second signing of
the summer following the arrival of Swiss right back Philipp
Degen.
(Liverpool Daily Post)
Rafa awarded honorary doctorate
Rafael Benitez is today being honoured in his homeland with
an Honorary Doctorate from the Miguel Hernandez University
(Elche) in the province
of Alicante.
The Liverpool manager will be joined by his family for the
ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.
The award is to recognise his stature as a coach and the way
he uses scientific methodology in his training sessions.
Also expected to attend the event are celebrities from the
world of sport and culture, as well as politians from the
academic field.
Before he receives his award, Benitez will meet up with
students currently studying sports sciences at the UMH.
Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I'm really pleased and proud.
"The award is in recognition of a long career in football.
It's not easy to spend so long in one career after you leave
university and so
I am delighted.
"Of course to have a long career you need the support of
your family and the other people behind you on your staff.
I've had that and been fortunate that everyone has been
working really hard with me."
(LFC Official Website)
Thor Zakariassen
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