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£27m Torres heading for Anfield as Benítez makes striking move Sid Lowe in Madrid Friday June 29, 2007 The Guardian Liverpool and Atlético Madrid have agreed a deal to take Fernando Torres to Anfield. Liverpool will pay fractionally less than the €40m (£27m) buy-out clause Torres has at the Vicente Calderón, leaving the 23-year-old striker to finalise personal terms before the move goes ahead. Neither side anticipates major difficulties in closing the deal, with Liverpool understanding that any percentage of the transfer fee due to Torres must be paid by Atlético. Luis García is set to go in the other direction for almost £4m but although his move facilitates negotiations on Torres and would bring down the cash price, the deals are not interdependent. Liverpool paid £6m for García when he joined three summers ago but their manager, Rafa Benítez, is prepared to release him and García is keen on a return to Spain to play for the club where he spent a successful season in 2002-03, scoring nine times in 30 games. Although Atlético fans protested against the sale of Torres - the captain, standard-bearer and the player they have called The Kid since he made his debut at 16 - the club have decided it is time to cash in on their greatest asset. "No one is irreplaceable," said their major shareholder, Miguel Angel Gil Marín. "We have to build a competitive team and no one player, however good he is, can achieve our objectives on his own. Last time I spoke to Fernando he said he was staying but I can't prevent him having a change of heart and I have to be prepared for that." Atlético have previously had to withstand an offer from Tottenham and informal approaches from Chelsea for Torres, but agreed to drop Torres's buy-out clause from €90m to €40m this summer to facilitate a move. They are keen on a cash injection and Torres has grown tired of waiting to fulfil his dream of playing in Europe for the club. He has always insisted he does not want to play for another Spanish team and is an admirer of the Premiership. "If I left Spain I'd like to go to England, because it's interesting and because the way they play in Italy's not so attractive," he said 18 months ago. Liverpool wanted to offer Djibril Cissé as part of the deal but the Frenchman rejected the move. Torres scored 14 league goals last season, taking him to 75 in five top-flight seasons. Liverpool have signed the 18-year-old Athletic Bilbao defender Mikel San José for £270,000 and given their 22-year-old midfielder Mohamed Sissoko a new four-year contract. http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2114541,00.html

Liverpool have moved closer to easing the frustrations of a difficult summer by agreeing a new contract with Mohamed Sissoko and stepping up their pursuit of Fernando Torres, for whom a club-record deal may hinge on them finding the £27 million that would trigger a get-out clause in his contract with Atlético Madrid. Atlético have informed Liverpool that a deal for the 23-year-old Spain forward is possible, but that, partly for political reasons, accepting an offer of less than £27 million is not an option. That is a daunting prospect for Liverpool, whose record outlay is the £14 million they spent on Djibril Cissé, and for their new owners, George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, but it is feasible if Atlético will agree to accept deferred payments on half of the fee. Luis GarcÍa, the Spain forward, is expected to move in the opposite direction, possibly in a separate deal worth £4 million, while Liverpool are also confident of raising funds by selling Cissé to Marseilles, where he spent last season on loan. Negotiations with the French club could be finalised over the weekend if Marseilles increase their offer beyond £6 million. Liverpool have also concluded a £270,000 deal to sign Mikel San José, an 18-year-old defender, from Athletic Bilbao, but a more significant accord was reached yesterday with Sissoko, whose wages will rise considerably under the terms of a four-year contract. Some thought had been given to selling the Mali midfield player, given the imminent signing of Lucas Leiva from Grémio, of Brazil, and the impact made by Javier Mascherano since his arrival in January, but all three players will compete for places next season against Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, who have signed new contracts this summer. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle2002604.ece

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Liverpool are also understood to be contemplating a £4 million bid for Celtic's unsettled playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura as they attempt to win their first title since 1990. Benitez has been impressed by the Japanese star's performances for the Scottish champions but he'll face competition from Atletico Madrid, Monaco and Aston Villa for Nakamura, who turned 29 earlier this month. Benitez is desperate to add goals from his midfield, where only captain Steven Gerrard broke into double figures last season. The England midfielder's tally of 11 was matched by Nakamura but it is the latter's threat from set-pieces, both as provider and goalscorer, which has intrigued the manager. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtm...8/sfnliv128.xml

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Liverpool likely to raise bid for West Ham's Benayoun By Jason Burt Published: 22 June 2007 Liverpool were last night preparing to raise their bid for Yossi Benayoun to £4.5m - with West Ham United keen to do a deal if they can persuade Craig Bellamy to move to Upton Park. The revised offer from Liverpool, who had initially offered £3m, comes close to the £5m that West Ham hoped to receive for the Israel international. The likelihood is that Liverpool will eventually agree to pay especially as Benayoun is desperate to join them. West Ham have grown frustrated with the 27-year-old midfielder after he reneged on a verbal agreement to sign a lucrative new contract. That offer has subsequently been withdrawn but it will be tabled again if Benayoun, who has two years left on his current deal, pledges his future to West Ham when he returns from holiday next week. Benayoun has been trailed by the Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez for some time. The Spaniard came close to making a bid last summer, as did Arsenal, and The Independent revealed earlier this month that Benitez was now determined to sign Benayoun, who first came to prominence at Racing Santander before joining West Ham two years ago for £2.5m. Benayoun had threatened to hand in a transfer request when he held talks with West Ham at the end of the season. However, it had appeared that a new deal - doubling his pay to around £50,000 a week - and reassurances that he will play more regularly had persuaded him to stay. But once he became aware of Benitez's renewed interest Benayoun informed West Ham that he wanted more time before signing. West Ham were determined to keep the player but after losing out on Darren Bent, with the Charlton striker changing his mind at the 11th hour on a £18m move, they have turned their attentions to Bellamy. The Welsh international can leave Anfield although his £12m valuation - twice what Liverpool paid Blackburn last summer - has scared off potential bidders. West Ham will hope that if they offer a reduced fee plus Benayoun for Bellamy, then it will help secure the deal especially as they will also increase his wages. They regard Bellamy as an ideal partner for Dean Ashton, which further indicates that Carlos Tevez is leaving. http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/pr...icle2692260.ece

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3-1 Reyes

"Charlton have insisted that the valuation has effectively been set by West Ham's offer but Liverpool - who are competing with Tottenham Hotspur for his signature - would only be willing, and able, to offer around £10m for the 23-year-old." They're really hammering the we've got no money angle aren't they.

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He's on loan. He went over in January or February I think.

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He was dreadful against us at Anfield last season. Jewell was on his back constantly throughout the game.

There's a decent piece in the Mail of all places. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...amp;ito=newsnow

Lampard is dreadful.

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It was a surreal experience going from a near war zone to trying to engage with a European Cup final with streaming eyes and burning throat and nose. The bloke who was shoved down the stairs looked in a really bad way but I've not seen any mention of serious injuries so hopefully he was ok in the end.