|
MARCH 28
Liverpool linked with £10million
Wright-Phillips and others
Kop Talk
Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier is confident that he will be in charge
next season and has drawn up a list of targets which includes Manchester
City's Shaun Wright-Phillips, claim newspaper reports this weekend.
If you believe the reports, Houllier sees Wright-Phillips as just the sort
of flair player needed to inject some more creativity into the reds
following a miserable season. One report claims that the Reds are prepared
to splash £10million on the player.
Other players linked with the Reds this weekend include Werder Bremen
midfielder Johan Micoud, Sheffield United's Michael Tonge and Bayern
Munich's Owen Hargreaves. All of them, apart from Wright-Phillips, have
been linked with us before.
MARCH 28
Liverpool target
Mourinho
By Graham Hunter - Sunday Herald
Liverpool want Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho as their new manager and
have already sounded out the Porto boss about joining in the summer.
The Portuguese champions are resigned to losing the man who won them last
season’s Uefa Cup and has taken them to the Champions League quarter final
– and Mourinho has kept them informed about Liverpool’s offer.
The 40-year-old is Europe’s hottest talent, speaks flawless English and
recently endeared himself to Liverpool fans by knocking Manchester United
out of the Champions League – plus enraging Sir Alex Ferguson during a war
of words which the Portuguese won hands down.
Porto believe that there has already been a direct meeting between the
parties but think that Mourinho has not yet agreed to move to Anfield
until he sees whether Porto can win the Champions League.
Mourinho believes himself to be ready to coach at the very highest level
and has also been sounded out by Tottenham Hotspur.
At the time he said: “We were in Marseille for the Champions League and
someone accredited to Tottenham spoke with me about moving right away to
England.
“I told him if it was a proposition for next season then we could talk to
see what could happen. But to play against Marseille and then start
immediately at Spurs, I wouldn’t even listen to that invitation.”
But the Liverpool offer has attracted him at the moment and Porto expect
him to accept and sign for them this summer it if no other firm offers
come in.
One Porto director, who confirmed the contact but wished to remain
anonymous, said: “Mourinho has done brilliantly for our club since he
joined two years ago so we will not prevent him following his heart and
moving to England. Our worry is that Mourinho is likely to want to take
players like Paolo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho and Benni McCarthy with him
which means the break up of what is a great team.”
Mourinho won the Portuguese treble of League, Cup and League Cup last
season plus the Uefa Cup final in a 3-2 victory over Celtic in Seville.
This season Porto are unbeaten in Portugal, in the Cup final again, about
to retain the Championship and set for the Champions League semi final
after beating Lyon 2-0 in the first leg of the Quarter Final.
Mourinho started out as Sir Bobby Robson’s translator at Sporting Lisbon
and Benfica and, despite no background in professional football, he was
promoted by Robson to assistant coach. They worked together at Barcelona,
winning the Spanish Cup, the Cup Winners Cup and the Spanish Supercup
finishing second in the league to Real Madrid.
Mourinho stayed on at Barcelona when Robson left, confirmed as number two
to Louis Van Gaal, but then moved back to Portugal after winning the
Spanish title in 1999.
Brought in to save Porto in 2002 when the fallen giants had crashed down
the Portuguese Championship the former language teacher worked the oracle
and took them to the pinnacle of European football in under a year and a
half.
Liverpool see him as the coming man of European football, someone who
renowned as a master team-builder and a coach upon whom a dynasty can be
rebuilt. Mourinho has often said that he desires to work for “one of
England’s great sides” and is understood to have admitted that re-building
Liverpool and returning them to Championship and Champions League winning
form would be his dream.
MARCH 23
Reds and
Magpies in for Forsell
Sky Sports
Agent Vincenzo Morabito has revealed that Liverpool, Newcastle United
and Fulham all want to sign Birmingham City's on-loan striker Mikael
Forssell.
Chelsea's forward has been in fantastic form this term for Blues, taking
his Premiership tally to 14 goals with a brace in Saturday's defeat at
Middlesbrough.
The Finland international's exceptional campaign is bound to have
attracted interest from a host of clubs and Morabito admits his phone has
been red hot with enquiries about his client.
"A loan season at Birmingham was a great decision but it's time to take
the big step," declared Morabito.
"Liverpool and Newcastle are very keen on him if Chelsea are willing to
sell Mikael.
"But I don't believe that Chelsea would be willing to sell Mikael to one
of their rivals like Liverpool or Newcastle.
"Fulham are also interested.
"Mikael needs to be playing in the Champions League or in the Uefa Cup on
a regular basis and he can't do that at Birmingham," he told IS Urheilu.
"He has performed miracles for Borussia Monchengladbach and Birmingham so
we have a lot of options."
Forssell is emerging, at 23, as one of the brightest striking prospects in
Europe and has proved his worth again this term after shining for
Monchengladbach last season while again on loan from Chelsea.
The West Londoners want to retain the services of the Scandinavian striker
but Roman Abramovich's spending power will ensure there is always intense
competition for places for a role in the Stamford Bridge attack.
MARCH 18
Liverpool and Arsenal keen on Lazio defender
Kop talk
Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in signing versatile Lazio
defender Massimo Oddo claim reports this morning.
The Italian outfit are in serious financial trouble and are close to
administration. It is because of this that both clubs believe they could
land the 27-year-old for less than £4million as several player are likely
to be axed in the summer to try and rescue the club.
Oddo - who has had spells with AC Milan and Napoli - can play anywhere
across the back of the defence.
MARCH 13
Reports:
Liverpool close to completing transfer
Kop Talk
Liverpool are close to completing their second summer signing, claim
newspaper reports today.
Nottingham Forest centre-back Michael Dawson will make the switch to
Anfield in the summer providing a transfer fee can be agreed between both
clubs.
The Insider exclusively revealed our interest in Dawson a couple of
season's back and a proposed move to Anfield last summer collapsed due to
an illness which saw him ruled out for some time. However Liverpool boss
Gerard Houllier has monitored his progress this season and if a deal could
be finalised, he would be an excellent addition to the squad.
Dawson has been tipped to captain England and footballing legend Des
Walker says he is the greatest defender he has ever played with. Other
names in the game say he is a better player than what Rio Ferdinand was at
the same age.
This is definitely one link to monitor, even though the reports today
appear a little premature. Forest would want around £5million but
Liverpool are said to have valued him at around £3million.
|
