Montse

Nando would have a field day, they seem to be leaking quite a few goals at the mo - would hate to see him break down tho

rbuxton_LFC Dani Pacheco handed no.12 shirt for #LFC this season. Expectancy on him to make an impact for the club will now be immense. 13 minutes ago via web

Barca pounce on Mascherano Tuesday 10 August, 2010 Inter appear to have given up on Javier Mascherano, sending the Liverpool midfielder closer to Barcelona. He had made it clear he wanted to reunite with Rafa Benitez at San Siro and even went so far as learning Italian during the World Cup this summer. However, this week Nerazzurri President Massimo Moratti decided he was too expensive at €30m, especially with Douglas Maicon now off the market. According to Catalan newspaper ‘El Mundo Deportivo,’ Barcelona have dived right in to take advantage of the situation. Their own bid for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas failed, so they would be willing to pay Liverpool’s requested sum for Mascherano. They would also be able to hand over Aleksandar Hleb as part of the transfer package. “The player would like to talk to Barca. After all, the sums requested are half of what they put on the table for Fabregas,” agent Horacio Zandonadi told Com Radio. “Mascherano has not renewed his contract and the club promised to release him if he requested a transfer. “The situation is much easier than a year ago, when Barcelona already made an offer for Javier. “Many clubs like Mascherano, as he is a great player at the highest level.” Footy Italia If Barca had £32m knocked back for Cesc then the must have some money sloshing around if need be?

Cheers just got off me a*** to check the rules on the prem league website...

Quick question - when is it clubs need to declare their 25 man squad & quota of British players - is it by the first game of the season or the end of the transfer window?

Wake me up when its all over please - cant take much more of this

Yep!

Happy Birthday to the boss - heres to a good season YNWA!

Roy has already said he doesnt want to sell any of his key players - no way this would happen Hes just signed a new contract too so doubt they would even stretch to his wages Pepe May 2010 'I don't see it as a sacrifice, signing for so long, and it doesn't make any difference to me if some people are saying I could have had my pick of clubs across Europe. I have talked it through with my wife and we don't see any better place to go. It is personal as well as professional. The education of my child is another factor and I feel it would be brilliant for my kids to grow up speaking two languages. 'I want them to speak English as well as Spanish and if it turns out to be with a Scouse accent, I will still be proud of them! 'From a professional point of view, Liverpool are one of the best clubs in the world. Whether we are in the Champions League or the Europa League, it is still Liverpool.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1259306/Pepe-Reina-flying-flag-loyalty-signing-new-contract-Liverpool.html#ixzz0vvJ24Rg7

Dani Pacheco has insisted that he wants to stay at Liverpool despite continuing interest from a host of European clubs. Malaga and Real Sociedad lead the chase, along with several other La Liga clubs, and have made enquiries to the Reds about the 19-year-old's availability whilst the likes of Benfica, Olympiakos and Genoa are also in the hunt for the striker. But speaking exclusively to Click Liverpool, Pacheco has revealed that he is keen to remain at Anfield and earn a regular place in the squad ahead of talks with manager Roy Hodgson next week over his long-term future. "I really want to be here," he said. "I will talk with the manager in a few days and we will decide my future. "Hopefully I will stay and be able to get some games so we will see. "I will try to work, get as many chances as I can and take them when they happen." Pacheco completed a full 90 minutes during Liverpool's 2-0 win over FK Rabotnicki last night, just days after playing for Spain in the UEFA under-19 Championships final, and has vowed to repay Hodgson's faith in selecting him to play in the Europa League tie. He added: "I'm glad to be back and playing for the first team. "I'm really happy that the manager showed confidence to give me so I will try to work hard to repay him." Dunno how reliable Time for the banana llama smilie!

I reckon the huge solarium over the City could be the deal clincher for Abby

I could live quite happily with not having the big pot for the last 48hrs or so of the transfer window - if as expected Masch goes then that would leave is with a useful amount to get in a quality DM or striker FFS hark at me - its not even happened yet and I've hopped on board the new regime bus!

Rob Harris from AP.... Chinese group behind #Liverpool bid: #China Investment Corp won't have direct stake in club, but may be one of investors 15 minutes ago via TweetDeck Reply Retweet Chinese group behind Liverpool bid tell AP: "What is not one of our goals in the enrichment of the existing owners"

Lol its OK Twitter has just crashed

Denial's a river in Egypt..... Hmm the plot thickens

bensmith_times To clarify we have been told Huang may issue a statement on #lfc later today, although we have no idea what information it might contain 11 minutes ago via web

Thanks for posting that Dave

So is the Chinese sovereign wealth fund CIC (China Investment Corporation) backing Kenny Huang’s bid to takeover Liverpool Football Club? It’s a simple enough question but there are, as yet, still no definitive answers. However while all of Britain speculates over the potential geopolitical implications of the deal (none, actually) the Chinese media are in possession of a statement from his PR firm, Hill and Knowlton Hong Kong, that appears to say CIC aren’t involved at all. In the two paragraph statement attributed to Rachel Chan, H&K’s General Manager (Financial Communications) Mr Huang declines to comment on the possible deal for Liverpool, but also includes the line: “Mr Huang would also like to deny that there is any involvement of Mainland China state-owned enterprises in his business dealings.” Case closed, you might think. Panic (if that’s what it was) over. Well, not quite. When contacted by The Telegraph, Hill and Knowlton now say that this statement is not an “official statement”, and therefore shouldn’t be taken as such. It seems clear, however, that the statement did come from H&K’s office although why/how it came to be released if it wasn’t an “official statement” is not at all clear. Either way, while all this muddle carries on, there is much general skepticism in China over the idea that CIC would take a punt on a heavily indebted English Premier league football club – a move that sensible China financial and sports analysts appear to find rather implausible. CIC, founded in 2007, might have lost its shirt on its early investments in Blackstone and others – some 4bn dollars in its first two years by some estimates – but it is certainly not in the business of making vanity investments. It is tempting to read much into the fact that CIC has recently divested 558m dollars of its Morgan Stanley holdings over the last few weeks (the same amount that Liverpool is reputed to be worth) but with an estimated 288bn dollars under management, CIC hardly need to go selling shares to buy Liverpool. They are also a very “private” organization who say little or nothing about their investments, beyond what they are required to disclose by the law of those countries in which they invest. Is it true? Or do the Huang camp simply want us and Liverpool fans to believe its true? In the murky world of football finance, who knows what is fact and what is fiction? Well, come to think of it, presumably Mr Huang knows, but thus far he and his acolytes have only succeeded in muddying the waters. We understand he is currently (8pm in China, 1pm in London) ‘in the air’ and will be landing shortly. When he does, perhaps he’ll deign to tell us more. More stuff

On Wednesday Huang confirmed his interested in buying the club, and sources in the UK told media outlets including the Daily Telegraph that the businessman's bid had the backing of the Chinese Investment Company, a sovereign wealth fund. This morning Huang’s PR advisors, Hill and Knowlton Asia, issued a statement in response to UK media inquiries saying he would be making no further comment on his involvement with Liverpool. In a second statement, initially sent by Hill and Knowlton Asia to journalists in China, Huang went further, denying the involvement of “state-owned enterprises” in his business interests. The statement read: “With reference to the recent media reports regarding Mr Huang’s investment interest in Liverpool Football Club, Mr Huang would like to emphasize that he is not able to offer any comment at this stage. Mr Huang would also like to deny that there is any involvement of Mainland China state-owned enterprises in his business dealings. If there is any related development, he will make a further announcement.” When contacted by the Daily Telegraph to clarify the second statement a spokeswoman for Hill and Knowlton Asia said: “This is not an official statement.” She did not deny however that her office had generated the release. Huang is understood to be travelling this afternoon and unavailable for comment, but if the disputed statement stands it casts fresh doubt on the source of his funding. The reference to mainland China suggests his funding may derive from Hong Kong, and the statement refers to current rather than future business interests, but it still offers little optimism for Liverpool fans hoping for a swift takeover. The potential involvement of CIC was met with widespread scepticism in the Shanghai and Beijing business communities this morning. The group has investments across the world, including a stake in Canary Wharf and mineral reserves. By contrast a heavily-leveraged football club that will major investment in players before it turns a profit seems an unlikely target. Huang’s London-based PR advisors, who were stood down on Wednesday afternoon, initially said that he was backed by an unspecified Far Eastern sovereign wealth fund. Huang is yet to provide proof of finance to Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton. Well-placed independent sources have told the Daily Telegraph however that Huang appears to have genuine funds deriving from China. That view is not shared by the club’s American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who are pursuing negotiations with Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi. His spokesman said this morning that they hoped to get a deal done by next weekend. Telegraph Spose we had better get used to claim n counter claims

Think its all dependant on Balotelli's transfer going through - think its in doubt cos the temperamental 19yr old wants £180k a week!

Oh yes, football - keep forgetting about that with all this takeover talk!

I didnt read it as they can but that they are - dealings have to go through Broughton and BarCap - which at the moment the Kirdi bid hasnt, its just been formulated by G&H I expect Broughton isnt best pleased by this so the question he needs to ask is 'Show me the money!'

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- An investment group led by Hall of Fame pitcher and Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan won a contentious and unusual auction for the team early Thursday, beating back a nearly $600 million offer from outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Officials in federal bankruptcy court announced the winning bid to cheers and a standing ovation in the courtroom, some 10 hours after the auction began. The Greenberg-Ryan group had Major League Baseball's endorsement, and its final offer included $385 million in cash. The final hearing on the team's bankruptcy plan was scheduled for later Thursday. "It was an emotional roller-coaster," a smiling Ryan said between hugs with colleagues and well-wishers in the courthouse. "You go to court one day and it didn't go your way, but you go back another day and it would. It's a relief." Final approval of the Rangers sale rests with MLB, which had the option of choosing the second-highest bid instead. But it didn't come to that. League president Bob DuPuy: "I'm very pleased and I look forward to Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan leading the team for many years to come." Cuban was also smiling after the auction, despite losing. His group decided against making another bid after reaching a predetermined limit. Cuban, who also looked into buying the Chicago Cubs last year, said he wished Greenberg and Ryan luck. "I wish them the best," he said. The winning bid was made just after midnight. Although Cuban's group had made a $390 million cash offer, part of a $598 million bid, the Greenberg-Ryan bid was considered higher because of how the bids are structured -- including a $10 million to $13 million breakup fee that would have been paid to the Geenberg-Ryan group if it doesn't win. The stop-and-start showdown was delayed for hours at a time Wednesday by closed-door haggling over the complicated nature of each bid. The bidding picked up late Wednesday and the courtroom grew more crowded as the night wore on, with attorneys and even fans crammed on the wooden benches or standing along the walls. Each group's bid included more than $200 million of the team's debt -- including $24.9 million in deferred compensation owed to Alex Rodriguez six years after he was traded to the New York Yankees. In the previous bidding round, the Greenberg-Ryan group bid $365 million and dropped provisions worth $12 million -- showing that it was back in the game after trying in vain to stop the auction and a $355 million cash bid from Cuban and Houston businessman Jim Crane. But U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Russell Nelms kept the auction on track. He had clearly anticipated a lengthy process and even obtained permission to leave on the courtroom air conditioning, which usually shuts off at 5 p.m. The Greenberg-Ryan group had the starting bid -- about $520 million -- because it was named as the team's buyer months ago, before the deal was put in limbo by angry creditors and then by the team's May filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The auction started Wednesday afternoon, six hours late, when Rangers attorney Martin Sosland said the bid by Cuban's group was about $25 million more than the bid submitted by the Greenberg-Ryan group. Later, Greenberg-Ryan offered $2 million more than Cuban's group, which then upped the ante by $15 million - to about $335 million as the cash portion of the total offer. As the night dragged on, attorneys scurried back and forth between small rooms set aside for the team, creditors and each bidder. Reporters and courtroom spectators wandered the hallways and at one point, 10 pizzas and a case of bottled water and soft drinks were delivered to Cuban's camp. Earlier, Ryan signed autographs for some fans, many who said they arrived after work to take in the action - only to end up sitting for hours on the courtroom benches. The snail's pace auction, which has included tense exchanges and even yelling between the attorneys, is the latest twist in one of the most contentious sales of an American professional sports team. The last Major League Baseball team to be auctioned off in such a way was the Baltimore Orioles in 1993. According to the team's bankruptcy plan, creditors will only get about $75 million from the team, no matter who ends up buying it. But the judge has said lenders, who are owed about $525 million after team owner Tom Hicks' financially strapped ownership group defaulted on loans, can go after Hicks' other companies. Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/08/05/rangers.auction.ap/index.html?eref=sihp#ixzz0viXEeENY Huh? Hicks last hurrah to drag us down with him?

FFS Keith Harris is on Talksport... Great opportunity for Liverpool Emphasis is on the owners to accept - the bid is too low (well thats b****x for a start its the board!) Kirdis final negotiations are probably not as final as we think Negotiations will continue for a while Broughton is a good guy with top reputation and ensure outcome is best Oh hes a Manu supporter he dropped in

I really hope Broughton is working more than one day a week during August