JimmyF

How many of those proven top class wingers are available on the market? Very few I'd say. I think even Rafa mentioned the dearth of high quality players are out there at that position. With that being the case babel would be an outstanding purchase, he's young but still a full international. Very fast, skillfull and has an eye for a goal

We all know ES knows his stuff, he was spot on when he called Torres transfer fee when every man and his dog were claiming £27M. Maybe Babel wasnt aware of Liverpool's interest when he was going on about Arsenal. Either way he is type of player we need desperately There was also that bloke on EST 1892 that was claiming we'd sign a dutchman and a spaniard after we signed Torres

Wouldnt be the first footballer who has back tracked on what he's said in the past

That would be amazing, Babel was boss in the Under 21 championships. He's the guy I mentioned after we signed Torres

Liverpool to pocket £15m for strike duo Jul 7 2007 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo RAFA BENITEZ received a £15m windfall last night – after unloading unwanted strikers Craig Bellamy and Djibril Cisse. Liverpool finally agreed a £7.5m fee with West Ham for the transfer of Bellamy, and banked a fee in the region of £8m from Marseille after Djibril Cisse's loan deal was made permanent. But the Reds’ hopes of landing The Hammers' Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun were thwarted when West Ham refused to budge on their staggering £8m valuation. On a frantic day of transfer activity at Anfield, Bellamy was forced to accept he was leaving his boyhood heroes after a solitary season. But Benitez denied that the decision to sell had anything to do with disciplinary problems. "It was nothing to do with discipline," he said. "We only had the one problem with Craig and that was not a big thing. I just wanted different types of strikers." That incident, when Bellamy chased team-mate John Arne Riise with a golf club on a team bonding trip to the Algarve, was quickly forgotten when both players scored in the Champions League tie which followed in Barcelona. Liverpool tried to include Bellamy in a player plus-cash exchange for Benayoun, but Alan Curbishley dug in his heels and insisted he wanted a straight swop. Benitez rejected that proposal and it was decided the two transfers would have to be negotiated separately. Liverpool have had a third offer of £5m rejected but are unlikely to go much higher. Marseille, meanwhile, agreed to the permanent transfer of Cisse, with the striker delighted to make his loan deal there permanent. The French club also snapped up midfielder Boudewijn Zenden, released by Liverpool this summer, on a free transfer. The Dutchman penned a two-year deal after completing a medical. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso will try to help Liverpool’s record signing Fernando Torres settle in at Anfield – on and off the pitch. The midfield playmaker is a huge fan of his Spanish international team-mate – and believes his signing will help Liverpool close the gap on Manchester United next season. Although Liverpool reached the Champions League final last season, they had a disappointing Premiership campaign and finished 21 points behind the champions. But Alonso is convinced that the acquisition of Torres can see that gap closed significantly. He explained: “I am optimistic before the season gets underway that we can go out and fight for the title. “With Fernando, Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt we are going to have one of the best attacks in Europe. It will be our task to help set them up for as many goals as possible. “Fernando is one of the best forwards in Europe and it will be great for us to have him in the team. I believe that he is going to be a big reinforcement for Liverpool. “It is necessary for us to have the spirit needed to be champions from the first game.” Alonso reveals that he scoured the newspapers all summer to see how Liverpool’s pursuit of Torres was progressing. The 23-year-old finally completed a £20million move this week, and Alonso believes the Spanish contingent already at Anfield will be key to Torres adjusting to his new surroundings in England. Alonso added: “It is great news that Fernando Torres has now become one of my team-mates at Liverpool. “There were so many rumours that he was going to come into the Premier League and I was constantly checking the news to see if we had signed him. “He has shown over the last few years at Atletico Madrid how much quality he has got as a player. It will be a major challenge for him in England but I am convinced he will be a big success over here. “We will help him to settle in from day one and help him adapt to the club, the city and living in England.” Reds boss Rafa Benitez, meanwhile, is also thrilled at Torres’ capture. But he stopped short of declaring that his squad is now ready to mount a title challenge. “They (Manchester United and Chelsea) have been spending big money for years,” Benitez said. “Now we are spending some money, but I don’t know if it will be enough to be contenders in one year’s time. I’m sure that it will help, but you at least need to do it. We needed to sign players of this level if we’re going to be contenders.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-19418974/

Breaking news on SSN claiming L'OM have agreed a deal in principle to sign Cisse

Hammers move for Cisse By Peter ORourke - Created on 6 Jul 2007 Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has confirmed West Ham have made an approach for Djibril Cisse. Cisse is surplus to requirements at Anfield and Liverpool are ready to listen to offers for the French international. Marseille had been leading the chase to sign Cisse after he spent the whole of last season on loan at the Stade Velodrome. However, West Ham could now be ready to pinch the former Auxerre ace from under the noses of Marseille. Liverpool are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of £9million for their former club record signing and West Ham could outbid Marseille for Cisse's signature. West Ham are actively scouring the market for striking reinforcements with Carlos Tevez seemingly on his way to Manchester United. The Hammers are also though to be keen on Cisse's Liverpool team-mate Craig Bellamy. Bellamy has been pushed down the pecking order by the recent arrival of Fernando Torres and Benitez confirmed earlier this week he was considering offers for the Welsh international. http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=4...+move+for+Cisse

If I was Parry I'd tell Papa smurf to feck off unless he meets our valuation, if Cisse wants to play hardball and force his way to marseille I'd call his bluff, threaten him with reserve team football and see if he wants to risk missing the Euros at years end ....... I bet he blinks first

Some West Ham fans are speculating it could be done by tomorrow, personally that probably too soon but you never know

I think what will help new signings is that now the spine of the team is set, so we have continuity in that regard and while it will take time for them to adjust that will help them. The thing about the winger situation is that Rafa said the deal(s) is/are close, so we will know soon enough. I'm hoping whomever it will it will off the top shelf and not Mark Gonzalez type, trying to catch lightening in a bottle signing

Thats wahat fecked me off about that article, atleast put Parry's comment into context - Have we had a bid rejected for him - was that nonsense or are we not interested in him at all. There is a guy on RAOTL that is saying Queresma isnt even on our radar, dont know if he's legit

I think only at the end of this summer can we really say who was correct, signing Torres was fantastic step but that 1 signing other teams are spending £17-20M on multiple signings. This stuff about selling before buying worries me but I think it could be just an attempt to put teams from raising prices on us, who knows. Lets see the quality of player we sign for the wing, that will give a truer indication.

The Queresma talk can now be nipped in the bud And boss Benitez declared his summer spending hasn’t stopped there. "I am looking for wingers now and though we have to sell I hope that doesn't have to happen first,” he said. "We are getting close with some of the players we are looking at and I believe we can bring a winger in straight away, regardless of outgoing deals.” Porto winger Quaresma will not be that winger, despite reports this morning suggesting a £13.5 bid by the Reds had been rejected. “Nonsense,” said chief executive Rick Parry. Benitez has also cooled on Roma’s extravagantly gifted Brazilian-born winger, Alessandro Mancini. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-19408912/ Ah well it was nice while it lasted

I didnt catch that but it wouldnt surprise me but it doesny appear that selling will have to come first http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1779 I would expect to bring in a winger without having to rely on selling anyone, anything on top of that and yes the likes of Cisse and Bellamy would have to be out the door

I have never seen Queresma play that much before and I know youtube clips dont really tell you much but the boy has serious skills, if the Times journo is correct it would be amazing signing. Some of guys on RAWK are saying he turned down a move to Munich b/c of the weather, would he fancy it here?

Dont know if anyone caught this quote from rafa in the MAil Liverpool's record investment shattered the previous highest fee of £14m for Djibril Cisse and Benitez revealed he is looking for more recruits. He said: "I am looking for wingers now and though we have to sell I would hope that doesn't have to happen first. "We are getting close with some of the players we are looking at and I believe we can bring a winger in straight away, regardless of outgoing deals. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1779 Could it be, effecient and effective in the transfer market? 2 Deals in quick succession.

Last thing Rafa said .......'at the moment we are looking for wingers'..... Let the speculation begin, personally I'd go for Babel, he'd take to English football quicker then Mancini and is younger

I dunno if anyone remembers 6 weeks or so ago when Seville were playing Real on Sky Balague (as he does) threw out a tidbit that the Seville left back (Puerta, I think) could be moving to a big club in the north west. We have a need at lb maybe he is an option for us, never seen him play enough to comment on him

Feel like smacking that turd who was interviewing Balague on SSN just now, all he tried to do was knock the lad the whole way, thankfully Balague put him in his place. Fecker asked if Torres was so good why didnt Real or Barca come in for him - Balague told him the lad has said he would never play for Real and that who says Barca didnt come in for him

Balague in the Echo today ‘Reds onto a winner with star Torres’ Jul 4 2007 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo EARLIER this year, friends of Fernando Torres gave the young Spanish star an unusual birthday present. It was a captain’s armband bearing the logo: “We’ll never walk alone”. It was meant simply as a symbol of their friendship, but led to inevitable speculation. “My group of mates have got that logo tattooed on their arms,” Torres later had to explain. “I have been told about Anfield and how special it is, but I haven’t managed to go yet. I would like to, though.” Four months later and that innocently intended gift now has real sporting symbolism, with Torres set to make Anfield his new home. But strangely the signing of a player coveted in the past by Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, has not met with universal approval from Liverpudlians. Perhaps it’s the curse of the long awaited “final piece of the jigsaw”. Built up, and then let down by a succession of big money strikers . . . Stan Collymore, El Hadji Diouf, Djibril Cisse, even the other Fernando, the much maligned Morientes, some fans prefer to wait before passing judgement. Sky TV’s La Liga expert Guillem Balague, however, has watched Torres since he made his debut as a raw 17-year-old. And he has already cast his vote - Liverpool are on to a winner. “There is one thing I think everyone is getting wrong,” he declared. “I’ve heard people say ‘Why pay so much money for someone who doesn’t score 25 goals every season?’ “But you don’t need that to be a successful team. “You need a team which can score goals and Fernando is much more than just a goalscorer. “He is only 23 now and is still a work in progress. He’s not the finished product but he is still an outstanding player. “I would put him on the same level as Wayne Rooney and the stats bear out that comparison. “Atletico Madrid has always been a club which relies on counter attacking football and that has been, in a way, his success and his downfall. “Obviously he fits very well into that system because of his explosive pace and his strength, and as a result he did very well very quickly for Atletico. “But the problem is that you can get stuck in that type of role, as Michael Owen found out. “Fernando is much more than just a counter attacking player. “He is a very clever player, especially outside the penalty box, and I can see him forming very effective partnerships, especially with Dirk Kuyt. “Fernando is prepared to do the dirty work outside the box, Kuyt is more effective inside, both are hard working, both are mobile and both can drift wide to complement the other.” Torres has agreed a six year contract at Liverpool, and Balague has warned that fans may have to be patient if they are to see the very best out of Torres. But he believes it will be well worth the wait. “Of course he will need time to adapt,” he added. “People will have to be patient. “He has always played up front on his own in Spain. Now he will have to play a different system and in a different league. “It might not even be his first season before we see his best. Like Didier Drogba at Chelsea, we may have to wait until the second season before he can make his biggest impact. “But he is very clever, on and off the pitch, and he is very humble. “People may have to be patient while he adapts to English football but I am so excited about seeing him play in front of the kind of atmosphere Anfield generates. “The fans there will love him. “I have spoken to Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher and they are both very excited and I am very excited too.” Balague has interviewed Torres many times – and in their last meeting, in May, there were hints that Torres was finally ready to make the break from Spanish football and move across to the Premier League. “It is important that Spanish players go to another league,” he said. “All those in England have grown as players, they are more complete. “I love learning from the best forwards in the world. [Thierry] Henry has been better than any other player in the world. “Until recently, people didn’t talk about the Premiership that often. But for the last two years it is almost an obligation to sit down to watch the Premiership.” In recent years three of the Premier League’s big four all tried to turn that interest in English football into a permanent move. In 1999 Torres was voted best young player in Europe. Arsenal tried to sign him because he had no contract. He got one straight away. Rumours last summer suggested that Torres was close to joining Manchester United. There were meetings between Sir Alex Ferguson and his representatives in Paris, but after United signed Michael Carrick from Tottenham Hotspur, the chance had gone. Then Chelsea made representations, but Torres made it clear he wanted to stay in Spain for another season. Now he has finally made the break – and Balague is convinced it is the right move. “He comes from a working class family from a working class district of Madrid and he became a working class hero,” he said. “The fans of Liverpool can relate to him and he can be a big success.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-19402943/

I read somewhere he was on £100K+ per week at AM but i think he'll survive on £90K

I took Balague's comment as £20M + Garcia - That is a heck of an outlay in my book

Fantastic move from the club, this sends out a massive message around the european football

NOW IT IS PASSING THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION IN LIVERPOOL Towers will be presented/displayed tomorrow like player of the Liverpool Manu Sa'inz (Mark) Fernando Torres has a very tight agenda these last days. The past Sunday had to interrupt its vacations in Polynesia to be present in the negotiations and not to prorogue plus its draftee by the Liverpool. Monday was in Madrid with their agents and now already the medical examination is in Liverpool happening necessary before signing by the English set. Towers Wednesday has predicted to return this same night to Madrid tomorrow to give a press conference to take leave of the Athletic one. In the evening, the “Boy” will return to Liverpool to be presented/displayed like new player of the “Reds” of Rafa Benítez. Atlético and Liverpool have predicted to behind schedule make official the crossing of Towers this same one. http://translate.google.com/translate?u=ht...Flanguage_tools

Last Hour Towers pass medical examination in the Liverpool 2007/07/03. Alejandra Alonso Hernandez, Madrid and mail:noticias@antena3tv.es Towers have passed the medical examination in Liverpool. Just later, one hopes that the English club will make official the draftee. Now the “Reds” and the Athletic one agree what is before: the presentation in Anfield or the goodbye in the Calderón. It seems that the latest. At the moment, in that stage who has appeared he is Luis Garci'a. Player who, indeed, lets the Liverpool to return to the Athletic one of Madrid and who this Tuesday has been presented/displayed. In that presentation, it questions were centered more than in Luis Garci'a, in Towers. http://translate.google.com/translate?u=ht...Flanguage_tools I think this is saying he's passed the medical and now atleti and liverpool are debating whether he does his PC ain spain first or here. Atleast announce the bloddy signing I say!!