GWistooshort

Rafa Benitez launches Kop Idol-style talent search Jul 7 2009 by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo RAFA Benitez has launched a “Kop Idol” style search for new talent for Liverpool’s first team. The Reds boss has called up half a dozen of Liverpool’s most promising youngsters to train with the first team squad – and challenged them to prove they are good enough to stay there. Benitez is keen to see how much progress has been made by some of the Reds reserves during the last 12 months and is pitching them in with the senior stars in the early stages of Liverpool’s pre-season training. Spanish trio Dani Pacheco, Mikel San Jose and Danny Ayala, Hungarians Krisztian Nemeth and Peter Gulacsi and locally produced central defender Martin Kelly are all being given a chance to stake their claim to stay with the big boys. All six are rubbing shoulders with first team regulars including Jamie Carragher, Dirk Kuyt, Yossi Benayoun and Martin Skrtel as the Liverpool manager puts his players through their paces. With fellow reserve regulars Jay Spearing and Stephen Darby already established in the first team set up, Benitez is keen to give some of the younger members of his squad the chance to shine ahead of the coming campaign. He said: “We have already had conversations with the likes of Pacheco, Ayala and San Jose and we have told them that it depends on them. “They are now training with the first team squad and this is their chance to show what they can do ahead of the new season.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-24092750/

Contrary to that article Negredo has already moved back to Real according to Sky http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_5374255,00.html

He sure did, only to have to say 3 days after the 'deadline' passed "There will be no deadline and Liverpool have all the time in the world now to sign Gareth Barry. They've got up to the normal window, which is the 31st of this month."

Mirror today is claiming Real have made a £5m offer & Arbeloa is "desperate" to join them http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-21500565/

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Yossi Benayoun The LFC official website has confirmed that Benayoun, who has been linked with a departure from Anfield in previous articles, has signed a 2-year extension to his current deal which will keep him at Anfield until 2013. Alvaro Arbeloa The Daily Mirror claims Real Madrid have offered £5m for Arbeloa & “are trying to drive a hard bargain…because they know he is desperate to join them”. Xabi Alonso & Javier Mascherano The Liverpool Echo says “doubts continue to surround the futures of Alonso & Mascherano” & although Liverpool “are yet to receive any offers...it is likely to be only a matter of time before bids are made”. Esteban Cambiasso Channel 4 says reports in Italy claim Liverpool will target 29-year-old Inter Milan midfielder Cambiasso if Xabi Alonso leaves. Gaetano D’Agostino Sky Sports report that Udinese owner Gianpaolo Pozzo has said negotiations with Juventus over D’Agostino “are definitely over", with Sky saying the 2 clubs were unable to agree a fee. Sky also says Liverpool are "believed to be" interested in D’Agostino. Peter Crouch The Sunderland Echo, the Guardian & the Daily Mail all claim that Sunderland are ready to bid £14m for Crouch, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles. Samuel Eto’o Sky Sports report that AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has confirmed they are interested in Eto’o, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, but says “he's asking for too much money” & they “don't hold much hope of reaching a deal”. Stewart Downing The Daily Mail claims Aston Villa have joined Spurs in the race for Downing, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Falcao The Birmingham Mail claims that “agents working on behalf” of Falcao, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “have contacted Aston Villa within the last few days to try to set up a deal” for the Colombian striker, whose asking price it says is just over £6.4m, “although a smaller sum is likely to nab him”. Tuncay The Guardian claims Liverpool are among Tuncay’s English admirers, as are Aston Villa & Chelsea. The Daily Mail claims Tuncay failed to turn up for the start of pre-season training, but the Guardian says he had permission from Middlesborough to remain on holiday until next week. The Daily Mirror claims Villa, Fulham & Spurs are all keen on Tuncay, who it says is rated at £7m, but that a proposed return to Fenerbahce has collapsed. Nikolaj Kohlert Sky Sports says reports in Denmark claim Liverpool are “on the verge” of signing Danish Under-17 international midfielder Kohlert on a 3-year deal from Esbjerg. Transfer window closes 31 August

That's the way to do it Bayern Munich have set a price tag of £69m for French midfielder Franck Ribery. The German club have given Real Madrid a deadline of 16 July to match the price. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/g...ers/8137563.stm

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Javier Mascherano The Times claims Barcelona “are set to” make a £25.7m bid for Mascherano “this week”. Sky Sports report that Barca midfielder Sergi Busquests has said “hopefully he [Mascherano] can be added [to the Barca squad]”. The Daily Mail claims Man Utd have asked about Barca midfielder Yaya Toure, who has been suggested in previous articles as a possible exchange in a deal for Mascherano, “amid growing concern over the fitness of Owen Hargreaves” & Barca could allow Toure to leave if Mascherano is signed. Alvaro Negredo The Times claims Spurs “have held talks about signing Negredo”, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Goran Pandev Sky Sports report Lazio president Claudio Lotito has confirmed that Pandev, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “wants to leave” & the club has “agreed his departure for a certain sum”. Sky report that Juventus, Spurs & an unnamed German team or teams are said to be interested in Pandev. Brede Hangeland Both the Daily Mirror & the Times claim Hangeland, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, has rejected the new contract offered by Fulham, which would have doubled his wages to £30,000 a week. Transfer window closes 31 August

Nice response from Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud to reports Sunderland have bid £13m for Marouane Chamakh. “What the f*** would he do at Sunderland? You have heard him say he will only sign for a big English club. I don’t want to insult Sunderland, but I don’t even know where they finished last season.” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6643475.ece

Thanks for your kind words superledger

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Ryan Babel & Andriy Voronin The Sunday Mail claims Liverpool will “listen to offers” for Babel & Voronin “to strengthen other areas of the team”. Andrea Dossena Sky Sports report that David Trezeguet has said he “intends to honour” his contract at Juventus after following reports he could join Lyon with Italian left back Fabio Grosso, who Dossena’s agent has previously confirmed Juve are considering as an alternative to Dossena, going the other way. Albert Riera The News of the World claims that Rafa is “prepared to sacrifice” Riera “to raise funds”. Xabi Alonso The Sunday People claims Alonso “may still join” Real Madrid & that Rafa knows it “would be good business” to sell Alonso for more than £25m because “money is tight at Anfield”. The Daily Telegraph reports that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was asked about Real's interest in Ribery & Alonso & said "They are both great players but their clubs don't want to sell them, though in the world of football situations can change". Javier Mascherano The News of the World claims Liverpool have offered to increase Mascherano's wages to £90,000 a week “in a desperate attempt to keep him”. It also claims Barcelona will continue their pursuit of Mascherano even though Yaya Toure has signed a new deal, because Barca coach Pep Guardiola wants to use Toure as a centre back next season. The paper says that Barca will “crank up” their attempts to sign Mascherano if Xabi Alonso stays because they know Liverpool “are unlikely to let both Mascherano & Alonso go”. The Sunday Mail claims Rafa & Mascherano “fell out at the end of last season” because Rafa “left Mascherano out of some crucial matches” & Mascherano “is now pressing for a move to La Liga” & attempting “to force his way out of Anfield”, which has “stunned” Rafa, who “hopes their past ties will help him talk the player round to staying” after he “saved him from rotting in the reserves at West Ham”. David Silva The News of the World claims Liverpool will "revive" a bid for Silva if Xabi Alonso leaves, but that Real Madrid are “closing in” on Silva for £20m. Gaetano D’Agostino The Sunday People claims Liverpool are chasing £7m-rated Udinese midfielder D'Agostino, who could be a replacement for Alonso. Juan Mata The Sunday People claim that 21-year-old Valencia winger Mata, who would cost around £10m, is “on the Kop wish-list”. Michael Owen The News of the World claims Owen was attempting to persuade Liverpool to come in for him even while he was in negotiations with Man Utd, but that Rafa's “doubts over Owen's form, fitness & desire to put his club before his England ambitions” ensured he didn’t sign Owen, who would have taken a £100,000-a-week pay cut to rejoin Liverpool. The paper claims “there were approaches by Owen's representatives to secure a Liverpool move every season he spent on Tyneside”. It also says George Gillett was “particularly keen” to sign Owen, who he first met in the Colorado clinic where he underwent knee surgery after the 2006 World Cup. Falcao Sky Sports reports that Colombian striker Falcao, whom it says Liverpool are reportedly interested in, has confirmed there are “several teams” interested in him & said he could have played his last match for current club River Plate. He also said he recently renewed his contract with River so the club would “receive the amount of money [it] deserves” when he is sold. Sky says Benfica are understood to have made an offer for Falcao, while Porto have been linked as well. Stewart Downing The Sunday People claims Aston Villa are “lining up” Downing, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, as a possible replacement for Ashley Young, with Man Utd “eyeing up a move” for the Villa winger. Peter Crouch The Sunday Mirror & the Sunday People both claim Sunderland have offered £14m for Crouch, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles, with the People claiming he is set to move to Sunderland as their bid matches Portsmouth's asking price. The Mirror claims Crouch will be sold “in the next fortnight”, but that Portsmouth are waiting for a formal offer from AC Milan as they are the club he “wants to join”. Milan have already declared their interest in Crouch & “sources close to the Italian giants claim a formal offer will be tabled this week”. In another article the People claims Crouch is Spurs’ “leading target”. Samuel Eto’o The Sunday People claims that Man City fear Eto'o, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, will price himself out of a move from Barcelona after demanding a £12.5m signing-on fee plus more than £200,000 a week. The News of the World claims Eto’o would drop his financial demands to join Man Utd with a “source close to the player” saying "Samuel has not been convinced by a move to a mid-table side in the Premier League & neither will he sign a new deal at Barca". David Villa The News of the World claims Barcelona will make a £40m offer for Villa “this week” regardless of what happens with Eto'o, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, with Barca’s coach Pep Guardiola telling sporting director Txiki Begiristain “he would have no problem having both Eto'o & Villa in the same team”. The paper claims that if Barca fail to sign Villa they will turn their attention to Diego Forlan, who they believe they could get for close to £30m. Gabriel Heinze, Alvaro Negredo & Arjen Robben The Daily Telegraph reports that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said the club now "needs to concentrate our efforts on convincing some players that they will have to leave”, noting that they currently have 10 more players in their squad than is usual. Liverpool have been linked with Heinze, Negredo & Robben in previous articles. Transfer window closes 31 August

Strangely enough the Daily Mail has called it most like it is........... How come Fergie has to look for a bargain? Last updated at 12:01 AM on 04th July 2009 Sir Alex Ferguson's shopping trip hadn't gone well. As the doors flew open on the big Summer Sale he went down in a flurry of handbags and was trampled underfoot in the rush. By the time the bewildered old campaigner was helped back to his feet, the shelves had been stripped bare of all the fancy designer goods he so desperately wanted to buy. A disconsolate rummage in the returns bin did nothing to lift his spirits, but he decided he'd better bring something home anyway, picking up the equivalent of a cracked porcelain teapot with a broken lid for practically nothing. 'It was a bargain,' he proclaimed weakly, waving his carrier bag in the air, trying to ignore the alarming crunching sounds coming from inside. 'A bit of glue and it might be worth a few bob,' he insisted. 'Besides, we won't use it much. It's only for special occasions.' And so the Michael Owen deal was done. Who would have thought Old Trafford would be the scene of the most ridiculous piece of Bargain Hunt scavenging football has seen for many a season? The only possible explanation is that David Dickinson has secretly joined the Old Trafford coaching staff. Bargain hunt: Is Fergie the only one who thinks he has pulled off a transfer coup in the summer sales? This was the summer in which all the talk at Old Trafford was of the mega-deals that would fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo's departure. Remember how every newspaper compiled glamorous hit-lists of stars beating a path to Old Trafford? Remember the transfer chatter about players performing at the peak of their powers like Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery and David Villa? Well, it was hot air, the lot of it. All United have to show for £80million worth of pre-season prattle is an overpriced winger from Wigan Athletic that they could have picked up at any time over the past year and an eternally crocked striker, who has been subject to more doctors' scrutiny than Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient. Is that really the best they could do? Owen doesn't have a medical these days; he has an autopsy. His pre-match warm-up routine involves some gentle stretches followed by a spell in an MRI scanning machine. Clubs automatically allocate him the shirt number 999. And if United really were hellbent on using an injured striker surely it would have been easier to just hold on to Louis Saha or Ruud van Nistelrooy? Either way, you do not sell Ronaldo, tell Carlos Tevez he is not worth the money and then drag in a player who vies with Andriy Shevchenko as delivering the worst value for money in recent Premier League history. Not if you expect it to be viewed as a constructive step back towards regaining the European Cup. Owen was a top-quality player, but there is a logical reason why that sentence is in the past tense and he has been overlooked by every outfit from Blackburn Rovers on up (barring Hull City, which might be regarded as something of a slight in itself). He simply cannot sustain a run of games. He plays, he gets injured. As an ankle heals, a groin muscle rips. When he returns, a knee ligament goes. When that is repaired, a hamstring pulls. He is a mass of interconnecting torn tissue. He is never match fit and consequently never quite rediscovers his touch, while the burst of pace that marked him out as a truly special striker is gone for ever. Yet there are still people out there who are seriously hailing this as a smart piece of business, highlighting the fact Owen is 'cheap as chips' as if the prudent use of Old Trafford's cash reserves was the main concern of supporters. It isn't. Not when the club have just won the title, finished runnersup in the Champions League and banked 80 million quid by selling their best player. Of course Owen's past contributions deserve recognition. In the mind's eye we still see him speeding past Argentine and German defenders and slamming the ball high into the net. The trouble with the mind's eye is it has never been to an optician and we forget how he was fifth in the attackers' pecking order before being forced out at Real Madrid, or how he appeared so infrequently at Newcastle United he ended up costing about £700,000 a goal. It's not as if he has ever gelled with Wayne Rooney when playing for England either. So now they can fail to form a partnership at club level too. Whoopee. Not that it will happen, because Owen will be injured. But it wasn't always like this. In the close season four years ago I wrote a column in this very paper expressing puzzlement over Ferguson's decision not to sign Owen. Back then, United were struggling for goals and he seemed a perfect fit. As it turned out, it proved to be a lucky escape. Nobody can now argue the 2009 Owen is somehow on a par with even the 2005 model. As so often in the unlucky lad's career, any predictions being made about his new chance and impending return to form are based on nothing more than misplaced hope and unanswered prayers. So why did the deal happen? Ferguson has had some kind of Damascene conversion about the player. He has always admired Owen but I'm told he dismissed the prospect of signing him outright, saying: 'There's absolutely no bloody chance', just a few weeks ago. That was before his summer deals mainly turned to dust, of course. Obviously the change in the euro exchange rates has tipped the balance back towards Spain, making Real Madrid and Barcelona even more attractive options. But there is also a concern this suggests Ferguson might not have the full £80m from the Ronaldo deal to draw upon, despite the claims from the Glazer family's PR machine that transfer money is not being used to service their huge debt burden. United aren't quite at the charity shop yet, but they are diminished by this deal. Owen is hardly going to set off alarms at Barcelona and Real Madrid. All they can see is a major European rival slipping backwards. It's hard to disagree when Ferguson loses over £100m worth of attacking excellence and responds by digging through other clubs' dustbins for scraps. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1...lly-Fergie.html

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Andrea Dossena Sky Sports report that Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas has said they “may let” Fabio Grosso, who Dossena’s agent has previously confirmed Juventus are considering as an alternative to Dossena, leave Lyon after Grosso “spoke to the coach about leaving the club”. Aulas also confirmed Lyon are interested in signing David Trezeguet from Juve, with Sky saying reports suggest Lyon could let Grosso join Juve as part of a deal for Trezeguet. Xabi Alonso Sky Sports report that Real Madrid President Florentino Perez feels that “2 more signings” are needed to renew Real’s squad & that he said he has "until August" to sign Alonso. The Daily Mail says the “word is that Alonso & Alvaro Arbeloa are ready to sign” for Real, which the Daily Mirror describes as Xabi’s “dream move”. Meanwhile, Sky Sports report that Maicon's agent Antonio Caliendo has claimed Real will try to sign Maicon, but that they are currently “focusing on Ribery & Alonso”. However, in a different article the Mail claims Real “are stepping up their interest in Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi as their pursuit of Alonso drags on”. It claims Real see De Rossi “as a cheaper option”, but “it could prove difficult” to sign him because "he recently said he intended to stay [at Roma] for life". The Mail claims that Real “believe Alonso is keen to join them in a joint deal that will also bring Alvaro Arbeloa to the Bernabeu, but the clubs are still some distance apart on a fee… with Liverpool's valuation of £35m thought to be about £10m higher than Madrid want to pay”. It also says that reports in Spain claim Liverpool’s new managing director Christian Purslow “has slowed down negotiations”. Nevertheless, the Mail reports that Real’s sporting director Jorge Valdano “is already said to be in talks with Alonso's agent Inaki Ibanez about the personal terms of a contract but any deal is likely to be delayed until July 18, when an agreement expires entitling Real Sociedad to 20% of the transfer fee”. The Daily Telegraph says “sources close to the club [Liverpool] insist neither Alonso or Mascherano will be sold for financial reasons”, despite new reports in the US of financial problems for Tom Hicks, & that “any decision on Alonso or Mascherano will be based on football, rather than financial, issues”. David Silva The Daily Mail says the “word is” that Silva, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, is ready to sign for Real Madrid. Alvaro Negredo Both the Daily Mirror & the Daily Mail claim that Real Madrid have once again offered striker Negredo to Liverpool in part-exchange for Alonso. The Mirror says Negredo is rated at £10m, while the Mail says Real are set to receive about double the £4.3m they just paid to buy him back from Almeria. The Mail says Rafa is said to be “a long-term admirer of Negredo”, who it claims Genoa & Roma are also “keeping tabs on”, while the Mirror claims Rafa is “considering taking” Negredo. The Mail also reports that Spanish newspaper Marca claims Spurs are interested in signing Negredo & held talks with his agents Juanma Lopez & Alejandro Camano in London yesterday. Marek Hamsik The Daily Mail claims “Liverpool have drawn up a provisional shortlist of potential targets”, including “a few players in Spain & Italy”, including Hamsik, who the paper claims has also been watched by Arsenal & Man Utd, & “1 or 2 in England too”, in case Real Madrid match their £35m valuation of Alonso. Gokhan Inler The Daily Mail claims Liverpool have targeted Inler to “reinforce their midfield once they lose Alonso”, but that Udinese's £18m asking price for Inler has “alarmed” Rafa, who “is reluctant to bid more than £10m”. Lorik Cana The Daily Mirror reports that "sources in France" reveal Rafa is "still on the trail of Cana", who Marseille "will let leave" having signed 2 new midfielders in Lucho Gonzalez & Stephane M’Bia. Lee Cattermole Sky Sports say that Liverpool & Spurs “have been mooted as admirers” of Cattermole, while Sunderland reportedly want to sign him. Didier Zokora The Guardian Rumour Mill says that if Mascherano leaves Liverpool will replace him with Spurs midfielder Zokora. Samuel Eto’o The Manchester Evening News claims that Barcelona’s president Joan Laporta has indicated to “sources in Spain” he may be ready to agree a pay-off to Eto'o, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, to allow the move to Man City to go through. The paper claims “Laporta is hopeful a deal can be done to help Barca finance moves for David Villa & Javier Mascherano”. Michael Owen Owen, who had been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles, has signed a 2 year deal with Man Utd, who the Independent claims only decided to move for Owen when they learnt they were out of the running for Karim Benzema. Transfer window closes 31 August

As far as the CL rules go nationality doesn't actually matter (despite people often referring to 'homegrown' players) - it actually depends on where players are trained between the ages of 15 & 21. The CL rules require a CL squad of 25 players to include 8 players that are “locally trained”, 4 of which must be "association trained" & 4 must be “club-trained”. To qualify as “association trained” a player has to have been registered with a club or with other clubs affiliated to the same national association as that of his current club for a period of 3 entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 & 21. To qualify as “club-trained” a player has to have been registered with his current club for a period of 3 entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 & 21. For example, Insua will qualify as a locally trained player for us when he has spent 3 entire seasons or 36 months with us.

Maybe Owen's comments that "Sir Alex told me that he wanted to sign me. I agreed without a moment's thought." (Source) & "I was clinging to that hope that he would want me to play for him one day." (Source) told them all they needed to know

Not directly - in the statement the club released a couple of weeks ago saying Alonso & Mascherano aren't for sale it also said "Liverpool has no interest in the long list of Spanish based players being linked with a move to Anfield as part of any deal" - & Negredo had been widely linked at that stage by the media as a possible part-exchange for Xabi Liverpool's statement: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/archivedirs...090614-1327.htm Negredo being linked before the statement: http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/index.php?showtop...p;#entry2396062 http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/index.php?showtop...p;#entry2392027 http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/index.php?showtop...p;#entry2392018 http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/index.php?showtop...p;#entry2391859 http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/index.php?showtop...p;#entry2396062

Owen said: "I had just begun to talk to other clubs when out of the blue Sir Alex phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, invited me to have breakfast with him the next morning during which he told me that he wanted to sign me. I agreed without a moment's thought. "This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands. "I am now looking forward to being a Manchester United player and I am fortunate that I already know so many of the players here. I missed pre-season last year and am pleased that I will be starting at Carrington from day one. "I want to thank Sir Alex for the faith he has shown in me and I give him my assurance that I will repay him with my goals and performances" http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5414037,00.html :puke:

I don't think he could cope with the physicality or the pace of the Premiership

I've got a word doc that I add any new names to as they come up so I can just cut & paste when I'm doing a new round up rather than having to type them out again each time

Here's a list of all the ones from the daily transfer updates that I've been doing (so covers just those linked in the mainstream media): Raul Albiol Paul Anderson Astrit Ajdarevic Ever Banega Gareth Barry Alberton Bueno Lorik Cana Lee Cattermole Luc Castaignos Peter Crouch Gaetano D’Agostino Paolo De Ceglie Matias De Federico Steven Defour Sylvain Distin Stewart Downing Samuel Eto’o Jesus Joaquin Fernandez (‘Suso’) Falcao Leandro Fernandez Marek Hamsik Brede Hangeland Gabriel Heinze Adam Johnson Glen Johnson Kerisson Kleber Ezequiel Lavezzi Nicolas Lodeiro Javi Martinez Juan Mata James McCarthy Fabrice Muamba Alvaro Negredo Gary O’Neil Michael Owen Goran Pandev Roman Pavlyuchenko Daniel Pranjic Micah Richards Arjen Robben Maxi Rodriguez Javier Saviola Stephane Sessegnon Anas Sharbini David Silva Moussa Sissoko Carlos Tevez Tuncay David Wheater Antonio Valencia David Villa Mauro Zarate Plus the following have been linked with leaving: Xabi Alonso Alvaro Arbeloa Ryan Babel Yossi Benayoun Andrea Dossena Adam Hammill Charles Itandje Sebastian Leto Javier Mascherano David Ngog Pepe Reina Fernando Torres Andriy Voronin

Trouble is a week after they said there was "little chance" of Xabi joining Real, when asked about Alonso they said “We have possibilities there but I don't want to say anything that will make the negotiation more difficult. We will wait a reasonable amount of time.”

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Javier Mascherano The Daily Telegraph claims that Mascherano “is thought to be inching closer to a move to Barcelona…with a bid of £25m expected in the coming days”, which the paper claims “is likely to be rejected by Liverpool”, although it says Mascherano's “desire to leave for the sake of his family means Benitez faces a struggle to convince him to stay if Barca offer more than £30m”. Meanwhile, Sky Sports reports that Barca president Joan Laporta has said the club is “concentrating all of our efforts” on trying to sign Arsenal’s Cesc Febregas, who Laporta says “is wanted by me, by the coach Pep Guardiola & by the sport director Txiki Begiristain". Xabi Alonso & Alvaro Arbeloa The Daily Mail says reports in Spain suggest Alonso & Arbeloa “will complete moves to Real Madrid in the next few days, if not hours”, while the Independent claims Real are “expected” to make a bid of around £27m for Alonso “within the next week” & Sky Sports says there are reports of a bid of around £30m being prepared for later in July. The Daily Telegraph claims reports in Italy that Real bid £28m for Alonso on Thursday are “wide of the mark”, although it says “sources close to the deal admit there has been movement & they expect a formal offer soon”. The Telegraph says Real believe that waiting for Alonso’s 20% sell on clause with former club Real Sociedad to expire at the end of the month “may help expedite the deal”. It also says it believes Liverpool want at least £35m for Alonso & the Independent agrees saying reports in Spain suggest Liverpool “would be tempted to sell at £35m”. The Mail says Liverpool are “losing the battle” to keep Alonso, “who is thought to be keen on a move to the Bernabeu”, while the Independent says he “is ambivalent about staying at Anfield” & the Telegraph reports “sources close to the player insist he has no desire to agitate for a move”. The Telegraph says Rafa is “unlikely” to allow both Alonso & Mascherano to depart because of “the dearth of suitable replacements after Gareth Barry's move to Man City”. Gaetano D’Agostino The Times claims Liverpool are interested in midfielder D’Agostino, who it is valued at £15.4m by current club Udinese, but he “is likely to join Juventus”. The Daily Mail says Liverpool have reportedly lined up D'Agostino “as a replacement for Alonso”. The Mail says Juve haven’t been able to meet the asking price for D'Agostino, who it claims “is keen to move to Juve”, & reports that Udinese president Giampaolo Pozzo has said the deal “is destined to collapse” if it isn’t completed by 6 July. The Mail claims Udinese “are prepared to sell either D'Agostino or Man Utd target Alexis Sanchez if bidding exceeds £17m…but are unlikely to sell both”. Marek Hamsik The Times claims that Liverpool are “considering” a move for Napoli’s Slovakian midfielder Hamsik “if Alonso leaves”. Falcao The Daily Telegraph says Liverpool are “believed to have tabled a £3m offer for River Plate striker Falcao". David Silva The Daily Mail claims Silva is “a target for Liverpool”, but says reports in Spain claim he could join Real for £21.5m. Meanwhile, Sky Sports report that Valencia president Manuel Llorente “is confident of keeping Silva”. Lorik Cana The Times claims Marseilles will allow midfielder Cana, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles & who this article says has been linked with Arsenal & Spurs, to leave “if they can find a replacement”. David Villa Sky Sports report that Valencia president Manuel Llorente “is confident of keeping Villa”, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, & has said "Valencia has not negotiated with Barcelona at all" about selling Villa. However, Sky also report that Llorente said “I will find out when I meet people” whether Barca have spoken with Villa & his agent directly. In a separate article Sky report that Real Madrid Director general Jorge Valdano has confirmed Real are no longer interested in Villa after signing Karim Benzema. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claims Villa “is set to join Barca”. Michael Owen The Times claims that Liverpool have “showed no desire to sign” Owen, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles. Most media outlets, including the Guardian, are reporting that Owen is set to join Man Utd providing he passes a “stringent” medical, which several say is “expected” to take place today. Sky Sports says reports suggest Owen “successfully underwent an initial assessment on his troublesome knee yesterday”. The Daily Telegraph says “reliable sources have confirmed” [to them] that Owen is “on the brink” of joining Utd & the Daily Mirror says “a source close to Owen's camp” said last night that a deal “is on” & “could be done in the next couple of days." The Daily Mail claims Owen has agreed a pay-as-you-play 1 year deal with Utd. The BBC reports that neither Utd nor Owen’s management company WMG were prepared to comment yesterday. Peter Crouch The Daily Mail claims Fulham are “preparing” a £10m offer for Crouch, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles, with AC Milan “also weighing up a bid…if they fail to land Sevilla's Luis Fabiano”. The Mail says Crouch, who it claims “has grown frustrated with developments at Portsmouth…this summer”, “will jump at the chance of a move to Italy, particularly after Milan indicated that they would pay much more than his current £70,000 a week”. However, the Independent claims that Milan have “registered an interest in Crouch but the transfer fee & the player's wages are likely to be a major obstacle to any deal”. The Independent also claims that there is “serious interest” in Crouch, who it says is valued at around £15m by Portsmouth, from Fulham & Sunderland as well as “the possibility that Aston Villa & Spurs could also be interested provided [they] sell players during the summer”. Roman Pavlyuchenko The Daily Mail claims Besiktas, Roma, Stuttgart & Villarreal are interested in Pavlyuchenko, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. The Mail reports that Pavlyuchenko’s agent Oleg Artemov has ruled out a return to Spartak Moscow for the striker, who has said he may “understand what my situation is” when he returns for pre-season training next week. Ezequiel Lavezzi The Daily Mail reports that Napoli coach Roberto Donadoni expects Lavezzi, whose agent has repeatedly claimed that Liverpool wanted to sign him despite a firm public denial by Rafa, to turn up for pre-season training next week. The Mail claims that Lavezzi's demands for an improved contract were rejected by Napoli & Donadoni said Lavezzi “has understood the situation." Transfer window closes 31 August

Or hopefully just 'f*** off'

BBC have nothing either..............

Could have come from this speculation in the Independent this morning in an article wondering who Man Utd would go for now Benzema signed for Real.................... "Michael Owen as a short-term measure? The prospect is an intriguing one. Ferguson tried to sign the 29-year-old as a youngster and there have been rumours that he has returned with inquiries since. The £40,000 a week Owen might be prepared to accept will certainly not hurt United and there are enough attacking options at Old Trafford to make the risk of injuries to which Owen has become prone less of a problem than at most other clubs. A possibility, perhaps" http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ma-1727834.html Doesn't seem to me to be anything else than personal speculation & there isn't anything in it to indicate that Man Utd are in for Owen unless the journo knows something, but can't let on at the moment