MONDAY 9
	Kirdi consortium close to deal Sky Sports News understands that the consortium fronted by Yahya Kirdi expects to have signed an initial takeover deal with Liverpool by Sunday afternoon. It emerged last week that the group of investors from the Middle East was interested in buying out Reds co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks and now it is reported that an agreement has been reached. The consortium hopes that a first contract, which will not complete the takeover, will be signed before Liverpool kick-off their Premier League campaign against Arsenal on Sunday at Anfield, a game which can be seen live on Sky Sports 1 & HD1. All parties - including Kirdi's group, Gillett and Hicks, and the Premier League, which now has tougher rules regarding the fit and proper person test - are said to be ready to gather before the weekend. (Sky Sports)   Arsenal set to be without both Fabregas and Van Persie Arsenal are set to be without both Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie in the opening fixture against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Neither has figured for the Gunners during pre-season and, with international commitments to come in midweek, Wenger admits he would be taking a big risk were he to throw the duo into action at Anfield. "They are a lot behind," Wenger told the club's official website. "Cesc goes to Mexico (with Spain) so he will not be able to practise, and comes back on Thursday night or Friday, so we will have to see. "I hope Van Persie (who has been rested by Holland) will have a good week of preparation, but I think he will be short as well." (Sky Sports/Webmaster) Moratti: We cannot afford Mascherano Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has revealed that the club are not in a positioni to sign Javier Mascherano from Liverpool at the moment due to a shortage of funds. The European champions have been chasing the defensive midfielder this summer after both the Argentinian international and new Inter boss Rafael Benitez admitted that they would like a reunion at the Giuseppe Meazza. Liverpool have stated that they would be willing to let the Argentina captain leave as long as their valuation of the player can be met. The Anfield giants have been rumoured to want at least €30 million for the midfielder. However, Moratti admitted that until the Serie A champions are able to offload some of their players this summer, there will be no official interest lodged with the Premier League club for Mascherano. “At this moment, we’re unable to make any transfers of this magnitude,” Moratti told Corriere dello Sport. “We can’t make any big transfers until we’ve sold someone.” (breakingfootballnews.com) Huang wants to meet with S.O.S. & ShareLiverpoolFC In a statement issued today by SpiritOfShankly and ShareLiverpoolFC it was revealed that Mr. Kenny Huang would like to meet with representatives of both organisations when he (Mr. Huang) visits Liverpool. (Empire Of The Kop)  Sahara Group end Liverpool interest The Sahara Group have decided not to follow up their initial interest in buying into Liverpool after "considering all relating factors". The Sahara Group, headed by businessman Subrata Roy, had been considering buying into the club earlier this year. However, as various parties assess their next move - Liverpool have invited prospective new owners to make official offers detailing how their bid will be financed - the huge Indian conglomerate have decided not to proceed. "The deal for acquisition of the Liverpool Football Club was in our consideration in the recent past," said head of corporate communications Abhijit Sarkar in a statement to Bloomberg. "However, after considering all related factors, we have decided not to go ahead with it, at least for the time being." (TEAMtalk) Middlesbrough ready to sell Jones to Liverpool Liverpool are upping their offer for Middlesbrough goalkeeper Brad Jones. The Mirror says Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson will make a new £2million bid for Middlesbrough keeper Brad Jones today. (tribalfootball.com)  Aurelio gets new shirt number Fabio Aurelio will wear the No.6 on the back of his shirt next season. The Brazilian re-signed at Anfield last week after initially failing to renegotiate his contract under Rafael Benitez. But instead of reclaiming his old No.12 shirt, Aurelio has plumped for a number worn in the past by the likes of Emlyn Hughes, Alan Hansen, Markus Babbel and John Arne Riise. (LFC Official Website) Jovanovic wants to make mark at Liverpool Milan Jovanovic is determined to make his mark at Liverpool. Former Standard Liege striker Jovanovic, 29, is intent on making a permanent mark on Merseyside alongside legends like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Jamie Carragher. The Serbia international said: "A football career is really short and I'm really proud to have the chance to play for Liverpool. "I want to leave something for me and my family after my career and that's why I want to feel everything and enjoy everything about the club. "I've got two sons and the older one is starting to know what his father does. He looks like me, he's left-footed like me and he and his brother are already Liverpool fans. "The eldest likes football very much and he even sleeps with his ball. "Maybe he will play football, too. But speaking very fast with an accent like Jamie Carragher well I am not sure about that!" (tribalfootball.com) New date for WBA clash Liverpool's Barclays Premier League home clash with West Bromwich Albion has been rearranged and will now take place on Sunday August 29, at 3pm. The match has been put back 24 hours due to the Reds' participation in the Europa League. (LFC Official Website) Pacheco pledges to remain Red Teenage forward Dani Pacheco insists he has no intention of leaving Liverpool this season, instead targeting a regular run in Roy Hodgson's side. Pacheco returned to Anfield last week on the back of an impressive tournament at the European Under-19 championships for Spain where he took the Golden Boot title for scoring four times. And the 19-year-old, who featured for the full 90 minutes at Anfield, is now eager to force his way into Hodgson's first-team plans, despite being linked with a move back to his homeland. "I really want to do well for Liverpool and give my best," he told the Liverpool Echo. "I have worked hard for this chance and hopefully I can impress the manager. I really enjoyed it against Rabotnicki and it made me happy to make my first start for the first team and play 90 minutes, but I have got to keep working hard." Pacheco has been linked with a return to Spain with Real Sociedad and Malaga, but the youngster insists he wants to prove himself on Merseyside. "I know there had been some talk but I want to stay here because this is a massive club and I want to make it work here," he said. "I have reached the age when I want to be playing. I want to show the manager that I can stay here, do well for him and play for Liverpool. That is the only thing on my mind right now." (Sky Sports) Liverpool FC’s move for Christian Poulsen edges closer Liverpool's bid to land Christian Poulsen has moved a step closer after the midfielder was given permission to withdraw from Denmark’s squad for the friendly with Germany. Poulsen’s adviser Joern Bonnesen confirmed last week positive negotiations had taken place with the Reds and suggested his switch from Juventus could be finalised in days. And now Denmark coach Morten Olsen has allowed Poulsen to pull out of his squad for the friendly in Copenhagen on Wednesday night. The 30-year-old is expected to arrive on Merseyside in the next 48 hours for further discussions and Roy Hodgson will be anxious to wrap up a deal quickly. (Liverpool Echo)  Redknapp: Watch out for Joe Jamie Redknapp has backed Joe Cole to have a massive impact on the Barclays Premier League next season. The former Reds midfielder selected our new boy when the Daily Mail asked for his 'Top 10 to Watch' in 2010-11. Redknapp said: "Joe has made a great career move by joining Liverpool and it should rejuvenate his career so he can be taken seriously again. "Anfield fans love to see someone open up a defence with a run or a pass and too often it has only been Torres or Gerrard who could do it. "Too often, Rafa Benitez bought average players. Roy Hodgson knows Joe's anything but average." (LFC Official Website) Broughton seeks stability at Liverpool as rival buyers prepare to bid Four of Liverpool's suitors are expected to table bids soon after club chairman Martin Broughton informed all interested parties they must submit formal, legally-binding proposals by the end of the week Kenny Huang, the Chinese entrepreneur who was the first to declare his hand in the battle to oust owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and take control of the club, is expected to submit his offer, worth around £400m, early this week, despite continuing confusion over the identity of his backers. Huang has held talks with Broughton and Barclays Capital (Barcap), the investment bank appointed six months ago to identify new owners. He is described as a "serious contender" by sources at the club, Barcap and the Royal Bank of Scotland, who own Liverpool's £237m debt. The three rival bidders who emerged after Huang's declaration of interest last week all have just five days to decide whether they will attempt to better that offer. (Irish Independent)  Happy birthday, Roy - 63 today Wish you all the best, Roy, on this day and all the other days in the future. (Webmaster)
	SUNDAY 8
	Bank closes in on Liverpool Liverpool are two months from becoming majority-owned by the British taxpayer, which, it can be revealed, has become the likeliest outcome if the sale of the club has not neared completion in that time. The Royal Bank of Scotland's main £237m (€285m) loan to the club expires on October 6 and must either be repaid or rolled over. Additional sums owing to RBS are believed to have increased total debt to the bank to £325m (€390m). Liverpool's company secretary, Ian Silvester, said: "From what I understand, and that's all I can say, the urgency is there due to the pressure from the banks, so I would anticipate that something will be happening within the next four to six weeks or so." (Irish Independent)  Liverpool to beat Arsenal for Man City winger Wright-Phillips Liverpool are ahead of Arsenal in the race for frozen out Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips. The Sunday Mirror says the England winger has been told he can leave Manchester City for about £7million. But Arsenal are unwilling to pay him more than the £65,000 a week he earns at City. (tribalfootball.com) Crouch linked with Reds return England striker Peter Crouch has again been linked with a return to Liverpool. Crouch left Anfield two years ago for Portsmouth, for £8m, seeking regular first-team football, moving to Tottenham a year later. He’s now linked with a return to Merseyside for £10m. Reports suggest Crouch is keen on a return to the club, with somewhat unfinished business, and the city where his fiancee Abigail Clancy is from. (This is Anfield) Reds in England squad Two Liverpool players are in the latest England squad. Glen Johnson and Steven Gerrard have been named in Fabio Capello's squad for next week's friendly with Hungary. Jamie Carragher has again retired from international football, while Joe Cole is a suprise omission. (LFC Online) Alan hansen set for Liverpool role Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish is poised to Kop a place on the Anfield board – and he could be joined by former team-mate Alan Hansen. It’s part of the club’s mission to bring back old traditions in an era dominated by foreign ownership. Unloved American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are attempting to sell up with interest coming from just about everywhere on the globe except the United Kingdom. That’s why chairman Martin Broughton, mindful of Liverpool’s image, has warmed to suggestions that the club’s heritage should be protected by providing boardroom seats for Anfield legends like Dalglish and Hansen. Dalglish has already been offered a significant role in the running of the club by manager Roy Hodgson, as head of football development. There are also moves to involve former defender Hansen, though that could prove more difficult because the Scot is a BBC Match of the Day pundit and could deem it a clash of interests. (Daily and Sunday Express)
	SATURDAY 7
	Hodgson's Hyypia frustration Roy Hodgson admits he has conceded defeat in his attempts to lure former Liverpool favourite Sami Hyypia back to Anfield this summer. The boss explored the possibility of snapping-up the legendary Finn in a coaching capacity, but revealed Bayer Leverkusen were not interested in allowing Hyypia to leave. "I'm a bit disappointed that my attempts to bring Sami Hyypia back failed," confirmed Hodgson. "It only failed because he's so important to Bayer Leverkusen. We couldn't get him out of his contract." Hyypia, who worked under Hodgson for Finland, spent a glittering 10 years with the Reds before departing upon the expiry of his contract in May 2009. "He's one I would also put in the Jamie Carragher-Steven Gerrard mould, Liverpool for life," added Hodgson. "Unfortunately he was let go at the end of the season before last and we can't get him back. He's too valuable to them." (LFC Official Website) Liverpool FC faces its biggest ever decision over ownership The champagne should be chilling, the red carpet should be being unrolled and a sense of euphoria should be swirling around The Kop. It has been another momentous week at Anfield, one that has seen Fernando Torres reaffirm his commitment to the cause, but if Liverpool supporters felt a confident assurance at its start, the weekend dawns with an increasing apprehension. For while there is widespread glee that the ham-fisted, debt-laden tenure of Tom Hicks and George Gillett will soon be over, it is tempered by the fact that, to borrow an old analogy, Liverpool could actually jump from the frying pan into the fire. Up until last Sunday, the vast majority would have been blissfully unaware of the Chinese mogul Kenny Huang - fewer still would have known about the merits of the Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi. Now though, their names are being rattled into internet search engines, as anxious Reds aim to discover whether they will be fit and proper people to run one of the globe’s most famous footballing institutions. Without being overdramatic, this is the biggest decision that will ever be made surrounding Liverpool Football Club; one that will determine their position in the game for years to come. For that reason, judgements will be reserved for some time. (Dominic King - Liverpool Echo)  Ganis and Huang will make 'substantial money' available to Liverpool Chinese ownership of Liverpool would return the club to its former position of primacy in the transfer market, a representative of Kenny Huang's QSL consortium announced today. Marc Ganis, a Chicago-based sports executive who has struck previous deals for Huang's QSL vehicle and is his long-term associate, acted as spokesman for the Chinese consortium today. He confirmed that an outline takeover proposal had been submitted to Barcap, the investment-banking division of Barclays, and the Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton, who together are overseeing the sale of the club. If the bid is successful, Ganis assured Liverpool fans that wage and transfer budgets under QSL would allow the five-times European champions to compete on equal terms with Manchester City, Real Madrid and Internazionale. (guardian.co.uk) Liverpool FC to begin Carragher contract talks Roy Hodgson believes Jamie Carragher can play out the rest of his career at Liverpool FC after revealing talks will soon resume over a new contract for the defender. Anfield stalwart Carragher, who made his first-team debut back in 1997, has entered the final year of his present deal at the club. The 32-year-old was one of several players offered new terms within the last year, but talks were put on hold over the summer with the centre-back thought to want assurances over his long-term involvement in the first team. Hodgson has been successful in helping persuade both skipper Steven Gerrard and striker Fernando Torres to stay at the club. And when asked if it will now be a priority for Carragher to extended his Anfield commitment, Liverpool manager Hodgson said: "I'm sure it will be. "Quite frankly so much has happened in the last five weeks. The hours I've spent at the club are enormous, but we haven't actually got round to discussing contracts with players. "I now know that Carragher has got one year left. That's the only contract of a player that I know about – if you asked me how many years the others have got, I haven't got a clue! "I can see players like Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard never leaving Liverpool Football Club. I can see them always being part of the club." (Liverpool Daily Post) Thor Zakariassen ©