Rumours

September - 2010

 
HEADLINES
3009: Fiorentina join hunt for
          Liverpool midfielder Lucas

1309: Liverpool plotting four new signings
1109: Roy ponders £10m Dynamo raid
1109: Redknapp and Hodgson lead
          chase for "Turkish Delight"







RUMOURS ARCHIVE


SEPTEMBER 30
Fiorentina join hunt for
Liverpool midfielder Lucas


tribalfootball.com

Fiorentina have joined the battle for Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva.

Florence sources say Fiorentina sports chief Pantaleo Corvino has been encouraged by intermediaries to move for the Brazil midfielder in January.

Inter Milan and Juventus have also caught wind of Lucas' availability, with Reds boss Roy Hodgson preferring Christian Poulsen in the midfield holding role.

Corvino is convinced he can land Lucas for £6 million.


SEPTEMBER 13
Liverpool plotting
four new signings


SportingPreview.com

Only four games into the new season, Roy Hodgson has felt obliged to assure Liverpool fans that everything will be fine and that he is not concerned about the form of striker Fernando Torres.

But depending which newspapers and websites you read this morning, the Reds are already being linked with four players ahead of the January transfer window.

The first name is no real surprise - Carlton Cole was believed to be heading to Anfield in August but the move didn't happen. However, reports suggest that Hodgson will go back to West Ham in order to try and sign Cole in the New Year.

The former Fulham boss may attempt to snap up midfielder Valon Behrami at the same time, although the Swiss midfielder appears to have his heart set on a return to Italy for family reasons.

At the same time, the Anfield club are said to be very keen on 17-year-old Spanish midfielder Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, who only debuted for Athletic Bilbao in pre-season. However Liverpool are likely to face stiff competition as the youngster is being watched by a number of clubs across Europe.

And they may also face a battle for their fourth potential signing, French international striker Karim Benzema. The Real Madrid player is also attracting the attention of Juventus, and reports suggest that if the forward was to become available then Manchester United may also throw their hat in the ring.


SEPTEMBER 11
Roy ponders £10m Dynamo raid

Clubcall.com

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is said to be eyeing a bid for Dynamo Kiev forward Artem Milevskiy in the January transfer window.

The 25-year-old has only just agreed a three-year contract extension with Dynamo but reports suggest he has a £10million release clause and Hodgson hopes to lure the Ukraine international in the new year.

The Reds manager tried to sign a striker over the summer but failed with several bids - including ones for Mario Gomez of Bayern Munich and West Ham's Carlton Cole.

He was also monitoring Milevskiy but did not make a formal approach and is instead weighing up whether to offer the £10million required to land him in January.


SEPTEMBER 11
Redknapp and Hodgson lead
chase for "Turkish Delight"


Nigel Brown - Sport.co.uk

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp and Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson are set to battle Atletico Madrid in the race to sign Galatasaray playmaker Arda Turan.

Turan has been perennially linked with a move to the North London pair of Arsenal and Spurs, as well as Merseyside club Liverpool. Nevertheless, the player’s agent informed Sport.co.uk during the summer that the Gunners had pulled out of the race to sign the Galatasaray captain leaving Spurs boss Redknapp, reds manager Hodgson and Atletico Madrid as the frontrunners for the Turkish internationals signature.

The 23-year-old Gala captain has expressed his yearning to wear the red of Liverpool, stating his desire to play for the reds by saying it would be a “dream” to play in front of the kop. However it is not known whether Liverpool manager Hodgson will be able to afford the £15 million asking price, but the Anfield club remain interested.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp made an enquiry regarding Turan during the summer, suggesting a swap deal involving Mexican winger Giovanni Dos Santos however the enquiry was rejected by the Turkish giants. North London rivals Arsenal had maintained an interest in the playmaker however according to the player’s agent Arsene Wenger is no longer interested in the forward.

The principal rivals to Spurs and Liverpool are La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, who had an offer rejected on deadline day for Turan, with Galatasaray desperate to keep hold of their inspirational captain. Reports in Turkey intimate that the race to sign Turan will re-ignite during the January transfer window.

Ahmet Bulut told Sport.co.uk during the transfer window that while Arsene Wenger is no longer interested, Harry Redknapp had made an enquiry:

“At the moment I have had no contact, unofficial or official from Arsenal or Arsene Wenger. Regarding Tottenham Hotspur there was a small enquiry regarding the player, but I have had no official contact or an official bid for the player.

"So, at the moment Arda (Turan) has two years left on his contract at Gala. And, we are waiting for an official bid for Arda from Tottenham. We will see.”


Thor Zakariassen ©