APRIL 29
Tottenham
ponder Hamann summer move
By Andy Hunter - Daily Post
Tottenham will consider a move for Dietmar Hamann this summer if the
Liverpool midfielder fails to secure a new Anfield contract.
The German international who played in last night's 5-1 drubbing in
Romania, enters the final 12 months of his current deal at the end of this
season.
Anfield officials are yet to hold talks with Hamann's representatives over
an extension and several clubs have been alerted to the possibility the
30-year-old could be sold.
Tottenham are among those monitoring Hamann's position as they pursue
midfield targets even without a new manager for next season in place.
Spurs, who have had to play central defender Anthony Gardner in midfield
this season, have just released Stephane Dalmat and are expected to lose
Jamie Red-knapp and Darren Anderton in the summer.
Mark van Bommel is Tottenham's first choice for their new-look midfield
but if they miss out on the PSV Eindhoven star Hamann will be targeted in
a £3million deal.
APRIL 28
Liverpool set
to swoop on 'target'
Kop Talk
Fresh speculation suggests that Liverpool are stepping up their
interest in Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton.
Reports today claim that Gerard Houllier is prepared to pay around
£3million for the player's services once the tranfer window re-opens.
It is claimed that the England Under 21 starlet is a Liverpool fan and
that he may become available following a series of alleged bust-ups with
manager Kevin Keegan.
APRIL 27
Arsenal line
up Owen bid - report
Ananova
Arsenal are lining up a £12million bid for Michael Owen, according to
the Daily Mirror.
Owen has just over 12 months left on his Liverpool contract, but the paper
claims he may be lured away from Anfield by the prospect of Champions
League football with the Gunners.
Arsene Wenger is reportedly ready to step in if Owen's contract talks with
Liverpool break down.
APRIL 27
Wenger
wants Gerrard and Terry - report
Ananova
Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Chelsea's John Terry are being lined up
as prime targets for Arsenal, says The Sun.
The paper claims Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is to launch a £35million
double swoop for the pair.
Terry has a reported price tag of around £15million, while Gerrard would
cost at least £20million.
APRIL 24
Barca back in for Owen
ITV Football
Barcelona are ready to launch a £25million summer bid for Liverpool
striker Michael Owen.
The England international has been linked with a move away from Anfield at
the end of the season, with the 22-year-old said to be increasingly
frustrated with the Reds' lack of success.
Earlier in the campaign he hinted at a move should the Merseysiders fail
to clinch a Champions League place and, while they are currently in
possession of fourth spot, recent form and a tough run-in suggests the
chances are slim of them holding onto it.
Barcelona, led by the inspirational Ronaldinho, have recovered from a slow
start to the season to be the form team in La Liga at the moment.
They are currently third in the table - now only seven points behind
leaders Valencia - and look dead certainties to participate in Europe's
premier club competition next term.
So, with that in mind and an estimated £50million to spend, coach Frank
Rijkaard has earmarked Owen as his Nr 1 transfer target.
He told the Daily Mail: "We need a fast striker who is also technical and
knows how to create numerous goalscoring opportunities. Am I referring to
Owen? What do you think?"
APRIL 21
Reds 'ready to spend'
BBC Sport Online
Liverpool's under-fire boss Gerard Houllier is to be given a £30m-war
chest for new signings, say reports.
Houllier has already earmarked £14m for Auxerre striker Djibril Cisse as
the club bids to get back among the Premiership's elite.
Cisse's team-mate Philippe Mexes, Nottingham Forest youngster Michael
Dawson and Ajax's Hatem Trabelsi have also been linked with the
Merseysiders.
El-Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao and Djimi Traore are tipped to be offloaded.
APRIL 19
Reds after
Man City duo - reports
Walk On LFC
Gerard Houllier is ready to swoop for Manchester City duo Joey Barton
and Shaun Wright-Phillips, if recent media reports are to be believed.
Barton is a close of Steve Gerrard and reports claim that Anfield scouts
have been monitoring his progress for several months.
Meanwhile, reports are also speculating that Houllier is interested in the
highly talented midfielder Wright-Phillips. The adopted son of former
Highbury hero Ian Wright is rumoured to be also one of Arsenal's summer
targets.
APRIL 15
Liverpool keen on
Benayoun
Sky Sports
A representative of Racing Santander's Yossi Benayoun has confirmed
that Premiership club Liverpool are keen on the player.
The talented Israeli, who has enjoyed an excellent season and netted seven
goals, has attracted admiring glances from both Spurs and Liverpool this
season.
Gustavo Crnko, one of the player's representatives, believes Gerard
Houllier could now be ready to launch a raid on the highly rated
23-year-old.
''It is certain he is interesting Liverpool - he is a player that pleases
them,'' confirmed Crnko.
''However, the English teams are looking at a lot of players at the
moment.''
In turn, Benayoun is refusing to be drawn on his future.
''I am concentrating on Racing. I have many options to consider and I want
to do things well,'' said Benayoun.
APRIL 14
Liverpool planning £30m summer clear-out
By Andy Hunter - Daily Post
Liverpool hope to off-load £30million worth of talent this summer
whether they qualify for the Champions League or not.
The Anfield club are prepared to release at least seven first team players
for either drastically reduced fees or free transfers in response to a
second successive disappointing campaign.
Emile Heskey and El Hadji Diouf head the casualty list, while Liverpool
will also listen to offers for Stephane Henchoz, Salif Diao, Djimi Traore,
Markus Babbel and Gregory Vignal as they attempt to regroup and rebuild
for next season.
Heskey, an £11m signing from Leicester in 2000, is attracting interest
from several Premiership clubs including Middlesbrough, Birmingham and
Blackburn and will be allowed to leave for £5m.
£10m flop Diouf is on Marseille's wanted list this summer, Henchoz -
recalled for the Easter Monday defeat by Charlton - has been linked with
Stuttgart, Traore with Bolton and £5m midfielder Diao with a return to
France.
Defensive duo Babbel and Vignal are already out on loan at Blackburn and
Espanyol respectively, and Liverpool will not block any of their
departures if firm offers are received.
Anfield officials have already ear-marked £14m for the arrival of Djibril
Cisse this summer and will have to pay around £5m to bring Auxerre
team-mate Philippe Mexes to Merseyside. But that may not seal a deal for
the French international after his agent insisted he would not join
Liverpool if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
APRIL 12
Liverpool refusing to give up on defender
By Steve Murphy - Sublime Football
Liverpool are refusing to give up on landing Nottingham Forest defender
Matt Dawson.
Forest boss Joe Kinnear insisted last week that the England U21
international would not be made available in the summer.
However, Reds manager Gerard Houllier is ready to offer £5 million for
Dawson in the summer, according to the People.
Liverpool have also been heavily linked with Auxerre's central defender
Phillipe Mexes recently.
APRIL 12
Arsenal join Liverpool in race for winger
By Steve Murphy - Sublime Football
Arsenal are believed to have joined Liverpool in the race for
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The starlet could be sold by City, currently £60 million in debt, in the
summer should they fail to attract new investment.
The News of the World says Wright-Phillips is emerging as a £10 million
target for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
APRIL 8
Liverpool open
talks with Mexes
Kop Talk
Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has returned to England after a midweek
dash to France to try and sell the club to Auxerre defender Philippe
Mexes.
We understand that Houllier held personal talks with Mexes this week in a
bid to bring him to Anfield in the summer with the Henchoz and Hyypia
partnership about to be consigned to history.
Auxerre boss Guy Roux has confirmed that several clubs are trying to
recruit the player now that he has officially been put up for sale.
Speaking yesterday, he said: "The Juventus scouts have come to see him but
they have not contacted us directly, which is contrary to the English
clubs, as they have started official negotiations."
Arsene Wenger and Bobby Robson are admirers of the player but David
O'Leary's Aston Villa may also be involved if reports in the Midlands are
true.
APRIL 7
Houllier to
wield axe at Anfield
Kop Talk
Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier is preparing to wield his axe and cull
his squad in the summer to generate extra revenue to boost his transfer
kitty.
Houllier has been instructed by the board that it's business as usual
despite calls for the manager to be replaced. He's already informed Rick
Parry who he is keen to sign in the summer and at a private conference
last week it was decided who would be made available for transfer should
any suitable bids come in.
'Big' names such as El-Hadji Diouf, Vladimir Smicer, Emile Heskey, Danny
Murphy, Igor Biscan, Stephane Henchoz and Dietmar Hamann will all be
offered to other clubs with numerous fringe players also been put up for
sale.
Insider sources claim that more than 20 players are currently unsettled
and that many are fearing that the axe will fall on them. The club can not
obviously axe everyone but all bids will be considered for players who no
longer fit into the manager's plans.
It's going to be a very busy summer with several departures and arrivals.
APRIL 7
Houllier
draws up summer shortlist
By Andy Hunter - Daily Post
Gerard Houllier has made a new centre-half a priority for Liverpool
this summer - despite the £14million ear-marked to lure Djibril Cisse from
Auxerre.
The Anfield manager is pressing ahead with plans to strengthen his defence
at the end of this season, when his own future will be under fierce
scrutiny if Liverpool fail to reach the Champions League.
And long-term target Cisse may not be the only player to swap Auxerre for
Anfield this summer if Houllier follows up his interest in defensive
team-mate Philippe Mexes.
Houllier has been concerned at the lack of pace in his rearguard this
season, during which the established axis of Stephane Henchoz and Sami
Hyypia has lost its famed resilience.
And having lost out on Jean-Alain Boumsong over financial terms in January
he is considering a move for the other mainstay of Guy Roux's defence.
Mexes, a 22-year-old French international, is believed to be on a
short-list of centre-halves drawn up by the Liverpool management along
with Marseille's Daniel van Buyten and Nottingham Forest's Michael Dawson.
Auxerre want to sell Mexes this summer rather than lose him for nothing
when his contract expires in 2005.
Both Manchester United and Roma have been linked with the pacy defender
this season, although the Italians will be out of the race if Auxerre
demand over £5m - leaving Liverpool in control if United fail to rekindle
their interest.
Mexes's agent, Oliver Jouanneaux, confirmed: "Auxerre have told us that
Philippe will be sold this summer.
"There were reports saying Spain was Philippe's preferred move but that is
not true.
"After speaking to him I think the English style would be better for him.
He would have more time to play, which is what he is good at.
"He will be expecting to play at a good club in the Champions League, but
the essential thing is what the club and the coach has to say to him. We
don't know where he is going, but we do know who has watched him."
Houllier, who is currently in France, is also an admirer of Belgian
international van Buyten.
The 26-year-old cost Marseille £13.5m from Standard Liege in July 2001 but
was loaned to Manchester City in January ahead of an expected summer
departure from the Stade Velodrome.
An ankle ligament injury has brought the defender's season to a premature
end last month, and City manager Kevin Keegan admits he is unlikely to
clinch a permanent deal.
"The deal we made is not very tight and I expect him to join a bigger club
in the summer," said the former Liverpool favourite.
APRIL 6
Liverpool join
Israeli chase
Sky Sports
Liverpool are believed to have joined Tottenham Hotspur in the chase
for highly-rated Israeli international Yossi Benayoun.
The 23-year-old is Santander's prized asset and they have already resisted
overtures from the likes of Spurs.
Benayoun has been in great form for Racing this season and has grabbed
seven goals from his attacking midfield role.
Liverpool are thought to have scouted Benayoun over the last few weeks and
are understood to have been very impressed with what they have seen.
Some reports claim that The Reds are on the brink of sealing a deal, but
that seems to be somewhat premature.
His England agent Barry Silkman told skysports.com that that there was no
concrete offer.
"Liverpool have not approached Santander and have not talked with us,"
Silkman said.
Benayoun is known to be keen on a move to England, and the news of
Liverpool's interest is almost certain to appeal.
Racing are thought to want more than £10 million for the Israel
midfielder, but neither Liverpool or Tottenham would be prepared to pay
that.
However, the Spanish side could even agree to a season-long loan deal with
an option to a permanent deal.
APRIL 5
Liverpool
linked with Zambrella
Kop Talk
Liverpool have been linked with a possible move for highly-rated Swiss
starlet Fabrizio Zambrella.
Reports today claim that the Reds along with a host of other clubs which
includes Chelsea, Juventus, Roma and PSG, are all interested in signing
the 18-year-old playmaker who has just rejected a new contract offer at
Servette.
If he fails to reach an agreement over a new deal he would be available on
a free in the summer.
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