GWistooshort

no problems

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… General transfer news The LFC official website reports that Rafa has said the club “are working & trying to bring new players in”, but that “we now have to wait”. The Liverpool Echo says Rafa's summer transfer plans "could be frustrated" by fringe players like Andriy Voronin & Andrea Dossena , who he had hoped to offload to generate transfer funds, wanting to stay at Anfield. Alvaro Arbeloa The official site reports that Rafa has also said that Liverpool are in talks with Arbeloa having offered him a contract extension & that Arbeloa “would like to stay but he knows the competition will be hard”. Rafa said 2 or 3 clubs have “asked about” Arbeloa & “if there is a good offer we have to consider it”. Both the Liverpool Daily Post & the Guardian believe that the arrival of Glen Johnson is “likely” to speed up the departure of Arbeloa, who the Daily Post says is “likely” to join Real Madrid. Andrea Dossena Sky Sports reports that Dossena’s agent Roberto La Florio has "at this time I don't know if Dossena will join Juventus", but that he “knows there are some problems” with negotiations between Juve & Lyon over left back Fabio Grosso, who is an alternative to Dossena for Juve. The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool will keep Dossena “despite interest from Juventus” because Fabio Aurelio has suffered a freak knee injury while on holiday. Xabi Alonso The Liverpool Daily Post Rumour Mill claims Real Madrid are “intensifying their pursuit [of Alonso] after Spain's Confederations Cup campaign was ended by the USA” & says reports in Spain claim that Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has “assured” Real coach Manuel Pellegrini he will sign Alonso this summer. The Times claims that Alonso has “said his goodbyes to some members of the club's staff” & “there is a growing acceptance at Anfield that the player is likely to move to Real”. However, the paper says Real “have not yet made an official offer” for Alonso, whom it says Liverpool value at £35m. The Independent says Rafa “is keen to hang on to Alonso & Javier Mascherano”, while the Guardian reports that Barcelona have confirmed that Yaya Touré, who has been suggested in some previous articles as a possible part-exchange for Mascherano, has extended his contract by a year until June 2012 with his buyout clause increased to €100m (£85m) from €60m. Yossi Benayoun The Daily Mail claims Turkish club Besiktas are interested in Benayoun & will “will test the water” for him. Andriy Voronin The Independent claims Liverpool will try to sell Voronin. Tuncay The Daily Express claims Fulham are “eyeing up” a £5m bid for Tuncay, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, which could prove “too tempting” for Middlesbrough although they would like to keep him. Javier Saviola Sky Sports reports that Real Madrid have announced they have reached an agreement with Benfica for the transfer of Saviola, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Michael Owen The Independent says that Blackburn won’t try to sign Owen, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles, because manager Sam Allardyce “considers him injury-prone”. Allardyce said "I need a striker that's going to be available for 30 games next season & that's not happened for Michael over the last 4 years". David Villa Sky Sports reports that Valencia spokesman Jordi Bruixola has said "I want to make it clear, we have no offer for Villa & we don't understand why people are insisting this". Villa has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Stewart Downing The Daily Telegraph claims Middlesbrough “will allow Downing to leave... when he recovers from foot surgery that is likely to keep him out of action when the new season gets under way” following the signing of winger Mark Yeates from Colchester. Downing has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Ever Banega The Liverpool Daily Post Rumour Mill says Liverpool will reportedly move for Valencia’s young Argentine defensive midfielder Banega if Javier Mascherano does leave, although it says Arsenal are also interested in Banega. Maxi Rodriguez The Liverpool Daily Post Rumour Mill claims Liverpool “are ready to join the race” for Rodriguez, a “long-standing” target for Spurs, who believe they can sign him for £4m, & are “set to match whatever Spurs offer”. The Daily Mail claims Spurs have made a formal approach although Rodriguez “is reluctant to move”, but Atletico are attempting to convince him to accept Spurs’ offer. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

It's the Champions League requirement for 8 'locally trained' players in your squad of 25. 4 of the 8 need to be "association trained" & the other 4 need to 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. Our CL squad for the group stages last season had the following 8 "locally trained" players: Carra, Darby, Stevie G, Keane, Kelly, Irwin, Pennant, Spearing. Our squad for the knockout stages was 2 players down because we didn't replace Keane or Pennant with any 'locally trained' players after they left in Jan.

Rafa on Johnson............... Why did you decide to bring Glen Johnson to the club? We were thinking about bringing in players with quality - that's the first thing. He is also English and that is important for the Champions League list. We were thinking about improving the team and Johnson is a very good player who will do that. What will he give us? He was important at Chelsea and in the last year at Portsmouth he has improved and is much better. One of the main things is his mentality - it's really good. He is a winner. I was impressed with the conversations I had with him. He wants to improve. Does he represent value for money? We knew the market was going to be difficult this summer and some of it has been crazy. Manchester City and Chelsea were there - they were making offers. We had to be quick and the club acted quickly. It was down to the player whether he chose us or City or Chelsea and he chose us. It was very clear from talking to him that he wanted to play for Liverpool. What does this mean for Alvaro Arbeloa? Arbeloa was a good player for us last year. The thing is, he has one year left on his contract. We have offered him an extension and we're talking. He is our player but if there is a good offer we have to consider it. We have two or three clubs asking about him. He would like to stay but he knows the competition will be hard. Can fans expect any more signings? We are working and trying to bring new players in but we are happy with the squad we have at the moment. We were thinking about improving and with Johnson we have improved. Like I have already said, we could buy one more player without selling anyone. We now have to wait. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090626-1555.htm

Glen Johnson deal done http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090626-1552.htm

Well spotted! However, that was actually in yesterday's Mirror, but the Mirror only put it on its website after I had posted yesterday's round up. So nothing in today's papers.

No, nothing

This article in the Times includes more of the interview with Kraft, including quite a lot of extra quotes that weren't in the Guardian article posted above

Did you see this? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ool/8117072.stm

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Alvaro Arbeloa The Liverpool Echo says Arbeloa is “set to make a decision on his future as soon as Spain's Confederations Cup campaign finishes on Sunday”, while the Guardian claims he is “close to a £5m move to Real Madrid”. The Daily Mirror claims Arbeloa “will join Real within the next week” & that his agent had a 2nd round of talks with Real yesterday as the clubs “edge closer to a deal”. However, the Mirror says Liverpool are demanding £10m for him while Real only want to pay £5m & that Real are trying to secure a double deal to include Xabi Alonso as well, both of which are potential stumbling blocks to any deal for Arbeloa. Sebastian Leto The Liverpool Daily Post & the Guardian both claim Liverpool have accepted a £3m bid from Panathinaikos for Leto. Andrea Dossena Sky Sports reports that Dossena’s agent Roberto La Florio has said a decision about Dossena’s future now needs to be made “pretty soon" because “Fabio Aurelio is out injured” & that Dossena “would consider a move from Anfield” because "it would be easier for Marcello Lippi to follow him if he was playing in Serie A”, but “it is up to them [Liverpool] to decide”. Sky also reports that Juventus, who La Florio has said are interested in Dossena, have confirmed they are looking for defensive reinforcements. Andriy Voronin The Daily Mail reports that Voronin, who has been linked with a departure from Anfield in previous articles, has said he will return to Liverpool & fight to get into the 1st team. David Silva The Guardian claims Liverpool’s prospects of “another big-money signing” will have increased if they sell Arbeloa & Leto & that Silva “remains a leading target”. Sky Sports says that “Silva is thought to be his [Rafa’s] top target”. Raul Albiol The Independent reports Valencia officially confirmed last night that central-back Albiol, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “will be presented as Real Madrid's latest signing next week after the 2 clubs agreed a £12.8m fee”. Lee Cattermole The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool, along with Spurs & Sunderland, are interested in Cattermole, who it claims would cost at least £7m, although it reports that Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan said last week that he wasn't for sale. David Villa Sky Sports reports that Villa, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, has said “I will not go abroad” & “next season I will play in Spain because it is the league that is best for me”. The Daily Mail, the Independent & the Times all claim Barcelona have bid for Villa, with the 1st 2 papers claiming the bid was £37m, while the Times claims it was £38.5m. The Daily Mirror claims that despite his comments about staying in Spain Man Utd are “poised” to make a £40m bid for Villa who it says is “top of [their] wish list”. In another article Sky report that Real Madrid’s General Manager Jorge Valdano has reiterated that Real have “withdrawn” from trying to sign Villa after Valencia told them that he wasn’t for sale & they are now “looking at other opportunities”. Samuel Eto’o The Daily Mail, the Independent & the Times all claim that Barcelona would need to sell Eto’o, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, if they buy Villa, with the Independent & the Times both feeling that Barca’s bid for Villa increases Man City’s hope of signing Eto’o. The Mail claims talks between Barca & Eto’o about renewing the player’s contract “have hit a brick wall”, “forcing the European champions to try to cash in now rather than let him leave on a free next summer”. The papers claim that Inter Milan & Man Utd are interested in Eto’o, but are unwilling to meet Man City’s £25m-£30m bid or Eto’os wage demands, although Inter’s position could change if Real Madrid sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic. They also say that Eto'o “is believed to want Champions League football”, but the Independent says “the salary at Man City may be too alluring to miss”. Antonio Valencia The Times says that Valencia, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “is thought to want to stay in England” following bids from Man Utd & Real Madrid as he “is concerned that his team opportunities might be more limited” at Real. The article also says that Valencia’s future “is expected to move closer to being resolved next week”. The Daily Mirror claims Man Utd have offered Nani to Wigan in exchange for Valencia. Gary O’Neil The Daily Mirror claims Fulham are interested in Middlesbrough midfielder O'Neil, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Javier Saviola Sky Sports reports that Saviola's agent Diego Queiruga has confirmed that Benfica are negotiating with Real Madrid to take Saviola, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, on a season-long loan. Queiruga has said that Benfica appeal to Saviola, with Sky saying he “is keen to join a smaller club so as to guarantee a regular 1st team spot after a sustained period warming the bench at Real”. Sky also report that Saviola was set to join Benfica last summer, but the deal broke down when they failed to match his wages Peter Crouch The Portsmouth News reports that Portsmouth Executive Chairman Peter Storrie has denied there has been any bids for Crouch, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles, & has also been linked with moves to Blackburn & Sunderland. Storrie said Portsmouth “want to keep” Crouch “& build a team around [him]”. Meanwhile, the Independent claims Blackburn have decided not to pursue a £11m move for Crouch as replacement for Roque Santa Cruz because they cannot match Crouch's current salary of £70,000 a week. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

Negredo had been widely linked at that stage by the media as a possible part-exchange for Xabi 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

deleted

All the quotes I've seen have Joorabchian saying "Manchester City, Chelsea and one other team" without specifying where the 3rd team is from (eg The Guardian) The papers reckon its Barca or Real

No worries The Independent today says it is “expected to be formally completed in the next couple of days” & the Guardian today says it hasn’t been done yet because Johnson is on holiday.

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Xabi Alonso The Independent claims Real Madrid are “stepping up their bid to sign Alonso”, with “rumours of a £30m bid”. The Guardian goes further, saying that Real have lined up a £30m offer for Alonso, who it claims has been “noncommittal on his future” during the Confederations Cup. The paper says Real's interest is “expected to gather pace following the Confederations Cup” & Liverpool “may be receptive to a substantial offer for a player who endured a strained relationship with the manager last season”. Alvaro Arbeloa The Independent reports Arbeloa has said "I would be lying if I said I was sure to start the season with Liverpool” & that Real Madrid’s interest in him makes him “proud”. He also said that he will consider his future after the Confederations Cup. Both the Independent & the Guardian claim that Arbeloa will be allowed to leave Liverpool for around £5m, but the Times says Liverpool want £8m for him. Adam Hammill The BBC says there is reported interest in Hammill from Bolton, West Brom & Wolves, but he hopes to be part of the 1st team squad at Anfield next season. Charles Itandje The Guardian claims Liverpool have received an offer from Malaga for Itandje. Glen Johnson The Independent says that Liverpool’s signing of Johnson is “expected to be formally completed in the next couple of days”, with the Guardian saying it hasn’t been done yet because Johnson is on holiday. Raul Albiol Sky Sports says reports in Spain claim Real Madrid have agreed a €15m 5-year deal for 23-year-old Valencia centre-back Albiol, who Sky says was a reported target for Liverpool. Speaking after Spain's Confederations Cup match against the USA Albiol said "I did not know anything because we had a game… let's see if I hear something on Thursday”. Stewart Downing & Adam Johnson The Daily Star claims that Middlesbrough’s imminent signing of Colchester’s Mark Yeates, who can play on either wing & “is seen as a direct replacement for Downing”, has “paved the way” for Downing to join Spurs for £12.5m & is “likely” to also see the departure of Johnson, who is a £2m target for Burnley. Both Downing & Johnson have been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Antonio Valencia The Daily Mail reports that Wigan’s Chairman Dave Whelan has said “there is no doubt” that Valencia, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, will end up at either Man Utd or Real Madrid after both clubs had offers, which Whelan said were around £14m-£18m, accepted by Wigan. Michael Owen The Daily Telegraph claims Everton are understood to be “monitoring” Owen’s situation, but are “reluctant to break the wage structure to accommodate Owen”, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles. Peter Crouch The Daily Star claims that Blackburn are “weighing up a move” for Crouch, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

The Times June 25, 2009 Carlsberg's last orders for Liverpool deal James Ducker Carlsberg is running out of time to negotiate a new shirt sponsorship deal with Liverpool as the Merseyside club hold out for a bumper contract amid interest from a host of leading international companies. Liverpool are looking to strike a deal similar to the £80 million, four-year arrangement that Manchester United secured this month with Aon, the American insurance giant, but Carlsberg is offering only about half that sum. The Danish brewer has been Liverpool's main sponsor since 1992, but while talks are continuing and both parties would like their long association to continue, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the co-owners, believe that the club have been undersold commercially for too long and want a deal that reflects their position as one of the most recognisable brands in world football. The present deal with Carlsberg, which was signed in February 2007 in the wake of the Americans' takeover at Anfield, is worth £7.2 million a year and expires next summer. Carslberg has until the end of July to negotiate a new contract exclusively with Liverpool but thereafter the club will be able to explore other options. Liverpool believe that United's agreement with Aon has set the benchmark and that it is only right that they seek a comparable deal as the most successful club in English football history with an enormous worldwide fanbase. Although Liverpool would like to conclude a deal sooner rather than later, they do not want to “get into bed” with the wrong partner and are prepared to take their time. Chelsea will also be in the hunt for a new shirt sponsor should they not reach a new agreement with Samsung. Their present five-year deal with the Korean electronics company is worth £10 million a year and expires in June 2010, but with reports suggesting that Chelsea believe that a new contract is worth double that, it remains to be seen if Samsung is prepared to cough up the funds. Put us on your shirts £80 million The four-year deal Manchester United signed with Aon takes effect from next summer £75 million Juventus have a five-year contract with Tamoil, the international oil company £68 million Bayern Munich's four-year deal with T-Home £50 million Chelsea signed a five-year contract with Samsung in 2005 £38 million Real Madrid's three-year deal with Bwin.com, the Austria-based online gaming company http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article6571909.ece

The Liverpool Echo on Tuesday said it was expected to happen by today while the Portsmouth News yesterday said it would be “this week”.

Today's round-up of transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… General transfer news The Liverpool Echo reports Rafa has said Liverpool “can sign 1 more player…without any players leaving”, but is “hoping” that Sebastien Leto & Andriy Voronin can be sold, “while a return to Italy for Andrea Dossena is also on the cards”. The Guardian claims Rafa “plans” to sell Alvaro Arbeloa, Dossena, Leto & Voronin, all of whom the Independent claims are “likely” to leave. Andriy Voronin The Times claims that Hertha Berlin “want to keep Voronin”. Glen Johnson The Liverpool Echo said yesterday that Johnson is “expected to formally put pen to paper in the next 48 hours”, on what the Guardian claims is an £80,000-a-week 4-year contract, while the Portsmouth News says the deal will be finalised “this week”. The Guardian claims that Liverpool were quoted £10m for Johnson in January. The Daily Mail claimed that Steven Gerrard “persuaded” Johnson “during England's 2 recent World Cup qualifiers that his future is on Merseyside” despite John Terry telling him he should join Chelsea. Javier Mascherano The Times claims Liverpool are facing “a serious battle” to keep both Mascherano & Xabi Alonso “amid firm interest from Real Madrid & Barcelona”. The Liverpool Echo says Rafa is “concerned by the increasing speculation surrounding” Mascherano & Alonso & claim Barca “are refusing to give up on Mascherano despite Benitez’s very firm hands-off warning”. However, in another article the Echo says Rafa “will continue to fight off” any approaches for either player. The Liverpool Daily Post says despite Mascherano saying he “feels comfortable at Liverpool” & that it was “fortunate” Rafa, who he described as “excellent”, renewed his contract, “alarm bells were ringing” because Mascherano said he was “flattered” by reports linking him with Barca & Real. The Daily Post says Rafa “is bracing himself for a bid from Barcelona, but has already made it clear that any club planning to lure away one of his most influential players would have to come close to matching the £56m Real paid for Kaka”. The Daily Mirror says it “understands” Mascherano is unhappy that he is ‘only’ on around £25,000 a week, which is “considerably less than the majority of his teammates”, & he feels he should be paid 3 times as much, especially given Glen Johnson will be paid £4m a year. The Mirror says Barca “have already been in talks with the midfielder” & “are happy to play a waiting game”, hoping that Mascherano's unhappiness “will force a move” because they refuse to pay Liverpool's £50m asking price. The Daily Mail reckons Mascherano earns £30,000 a week & says it is suggested Liverpool will have to double this to keep him happy. The Mail says Rafa is “determined” to keep Mascherano & says Liverpool “are understood to have quoted” a price of £50m to Barca, who value him at £20m, & Man City. The Guardian claims Liverpool “are reviewing whether to instigate talks on an improved contract this summer” for Mascherano , who it says is paid an estimated £60,000 a week, because “club officials accept that Barca's interest will not wane while the player keeps encouraging their interest”, which “Liverpool officials suspect is an attempt to improve his salary”. The paper says Liverpool “are yet to receive an official bid for Mascherano or Alonso” & claims Rafa “is particularly loath to lose the Argentinian”. Sky Sports reports that Lionel Messi has said he would like Mascherano to join Barca & that he “hopes Mascherano can come here". Meanwhile, in another article Sky reports that Yaya Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk has said that Mascherano could have a “problem” if he joins Barca because “he could be on the bench for many minutes”. Seluk has said that he expects Toure, who has been suggested as a possible part-exchange for Mascherano in some previous articles, to sign a new contract with Barca “towards the end of the week”. Xabi Alonso The Daily Mail reports that when asked about Real Madrid’s interest in Alonso Real's Sporting Director Jorge Valdano 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.” The Mail claims that Liverpool rejected a £20m approach from Real for Alonso last month, but the Spanish club “expect” to sign Alonso, who it says is “thought to be keen to leave Anfield”, “for about the £30m mark”, with Liverpool “preferring” to sell to Real rather than Chelsea or Man City, both of whom it claims “have also shown interest”. The Independent says that Rafa “is understood to have been in touch with Mascherano, [but] not Alonso”. The Mail says this was confirmed by Alonso himself when asked by a journo at the Confederations Cup. The Times claims Real are “expected” to make a joint £38m bid for Alonso & Alvaro Arbeloa. Alvaro Arbeloa The Liverpool Echo says Liverpool have rejected a £4.2m bid from Real Madrid for Arbeloa, after Rafa said Liverpool “would have to consider…a good offer” for Arbeloa, who only has 1 year left on his contract, & are “holding out for £5m”. The Echo believes a deal “looks imminent”, claiming that Arbeloa's agent Manuel Garcia Quilon met Real yesterday “to facilitate the move”. The Independent believes Arbeloa is “likely” to leave, while the Guardian claims Rafa is “planning” to sell him to “swell his remaining finances”. The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool signing Glen Johnson “signals the exit for Arbeloa”, also saying that Arbeloa’s agent “was at the Bernabeu yesterday”. Meanwhile, Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano has said Arbeloa “is another [transfer] option [for Real] to evaluate” & praised the player’s versatility & said the fact he is nearing the end of his contract “gives us more possibilities” Charles Itandje The Liverpool Echo reports that Itandje's Anfield career “could be close to an end” as Malaga, who need goalkeeping cover, “have spoken to the Reds about a possible deal”. Sky Sports says that “an official move is now expected to be made” by Malaga. The Daily Telegraph says Itandje is “set to leave” & claims that there also “doubts over the future of Diego Cavalieri”, who it says is a target for Benfica. The Telegraph claims that as a result 20-year-old Bulgarian keeper Nikolay Mihailov, who it says “is now reportedly in hiding” in Bulgaria after apparently insulting a mafia godfather, “could [now] find himself as 2nd choice behind Pepe Reina at the start of the new season”. David Silva The Daily Telegraph claims Rafa “remains keen” to sign Silva, but “may be forced” to sell players to fund a move for him. Gabriel Heinze Sky Sports reports that Liverpool are “being credited with an interest” in Heinze, along with Chelsea, Man City & Spurs. Sky reports Heinze has said he is “aware that several clubs are interested” in him & he "would not mind playing Premier League football again", but has “no idea” where he will end up & “must speak with Real Madrid 1st”. The Daily Mail reports that Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo claims Liverpool & Chelsea are interested in Heinze & that Spurs “are understood to have already held talks” with Real. Sylvain Distin The Times claims that Sunderland are “monitoring” Distin, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Leandro Fernandez The Daily Mail claims Liverpool are interested in 26-year-old Argentinian centre-back Fernandez & according to reports in Russia both Liverpool & Lazio have held preliminary talks with Dynamo Moscow, who are “reluctant to let [him] leave for less than £8.5m”. According to the Mail, Fernandez wouldn’t need a work permit because he holds an Italian passport. David Villa Sky Sports reports that Real Madrid's Sporting Director Jorge Valdano has said Real’s interest in Villa, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “is 100% finished" after a phone call from Valencia’s President telling them Villa “was not for sale” & that Real are “working on” “an alternative”, while Diego Forlan’s agent has claimed that Barcelona “are trying to find a way” to sign Villa. Meanwhile, Sky report in a separate article that Villa has said “I don’t know where I am going to play” next season despite Valencia’s insistence that he isn’t for sale. Michael Owen Sky Sports reports that Hull’s manager Phil Brown has said he will be speaking to Owen's representatives “within the week” in an attempt to set up a deal for the striker, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles, while Sky report in another article that Stoke boss Tony Pulis has confirmed his interest in Owen. Peter Crouch The Portsmouth News reports that Crouch’s agent Jonathan Barnett has said Crouch, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles, has “no intention” of leaving Portsmouth. Barnett also said “there has been nothing from other clubs for Crouch", whom the article says has been linked with Blackburn & Sunderland. The Daily Mail claims that Spurs, as well as Blackburn & Sunderland, are interested in Crouch, while the Times claims Sunderland are “considering making a bid for Crouch” & in another article that Blackburn are “monitoring” him. The Daily Mirror claims that Crouch is “top of Blackburn’s wishlist” to replace Roque Santa Cruz. Daniel Pranjic Sky Sports reports that Bayern Munich have announced they have signed Pranjic, who had been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, from Heerenveen on a 3-year deal, with the fee “understood” to be “around €7m”. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

Liverpool Daily Post Jun 24 2009 Bank deal ‘close’ on £350m Liverpool FC debt LIVERPOOL FC’s owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were last night closing in on a deal to re- finance their £350m club debt. Sources said a deal was yet to be reached, but discussions with RBS and American bank Wachovia were “progressing well” over the loan, which expires on July 24. Last night, Walton MP Peter Kilfoyle, whose constituency includes Anfield, said the part-nationalised bank was letting the people of Liverpool down by extending the finance. Last week, he campaigned for the Government to pull the plug on the £350m loan. The news that RBS is likely to refinance the loan means that Hicks and Gillett no longer face a possible fire sale of the club or having their assets seized. The bank is reported to have told the pair it is willing to refinance the loan. Reports suggested that, over the next six months, the bank will insist on significant payments from Hicks and Gillett. Last night, Jay McKenna, spokesman for campaign group Spirit of Shankly, said an official at RBS had informed fans that emails would be sent to them to outline the reasoning behind a decision to refinance. He said: “Our view remains that refinancing would be detrimental to the future of Liverpool Football Club. It will have a negative effect on performance.” Earlier this month, the full scale of the debt LFC was saddled with was revealed, after the club made a £42.6m loss before tax. Liverpool FC Limited recorded a pre-tax profit of £10.2m for the year to July 31, 2008, an improvement on the previous year’s loss of £21.7m. But, despite this, Kop Football Holdings, which owns Liverpool FC Ltd, made a huge loss. Kop paid bank and overdraft charges of £35.4m, while Liverpool FC Ltd paid £4.7m – making a total of £40.1m debt repayments. It is understood the owners have put in around £40m cash in the year. Hicks and Gillett are expected to be asked by the banks to inject more of their own cash. The fresh revelations come days after Gillett agreed to sell his 80% stake in the NHL's Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team, in a deal reported to be worth at least $550m (£332.9m). Hicks has also been looking to sell off elements of his own sporting empire – which includes Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers and the NHL's Dallas Stars. Mr KcKenna added: “We believe there is no value in the refinancing of the loan or the continuing American ownership of the club. “They have constantly held back the football club in terms of developing the stadium. “If RBS refused to refinance, it would force the owners to come up with a viable exit strategy. “We would urge the bank to rethink.” Mr Kilfoyle said: “This will still not provide the stadium and the regeneration for the people of Anfield. I have done all I can do in terms of raising awareness. “What the bank are effectively saying then is that they are happy that they are going to get the interest, but that will do nothing which is about the basic issue of the stadium. “I would expect banks, particularly in the present climate, to be more responsible than they have been to date. This does not augur well, and lets down the people of Liverpool.” http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-23960810/

This was reported by a few papers recently, but whether it is true or not is of course another matter

Coming back from injury

A round-up of today's transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Glen Johnson The LFC official website has confirmed that Liverpool have reached an agreement with Portsmouth & Johnson for him to join Liverpool. The Liverpool Daily Post says that the “official fee” for Johnson is £17m, although “the initial downpayment could be less than £5m” with Portsmouth owing Liverpool “a hefty chunk” of the fee for Peter Crouch. Alvaro Arbeloa The Daily Mail claims that Johnson’s signing “will signal the £8m departure of Arbeloa to Real Madrid”, while the Liverpool Daily Post says “speculation continues” that Arbeloa & Andrea Dossena “could be sold”. Xabi Alonso The Daily Mail claims that “Real Madrid have made a renewed bid for Alonso & expect to sign him in a £30m deal”. It also claims “Chelsea had inquired about Alonso”, but Rafa “did not want to sell to his Premier League rivals”. In another article the Mail says that Chelsea's interest “ is definite & they have the money to match Liverpool's £25m valuation but manager Rafa Benitez will block it”. Javier Mascherano The Daily Mail claims Barcelona are “lining up a move” for Mascherano, who the paper says in another article Liverpool “may sell” to Barca or Real Madrid. Sebastian Leto Sky Sports reports that Leto has revealed that Panathinaikos are currently negotiating a permanent deal for him with Liverpool & “the 2 sides are very close to a deal” with the chances of him joining Panathinaikos “more than 90 per cent”. Steven Defour Sky Sports says that “Liverpool are known to be very keen” on Standard Liege midfielder Defour, as are Aston Villa. Defour has confirmed that Everton, who according to Sky are “one of a number of clubs who have been tracking him over the past year”, have failed with a bid for him. Sky says Defour “looks set for a move away from Liege this summer” & that Standard “are known to want at least €15m (£12.6m)” for him. Defour said he “feels good at Standard”, but he “would be ready to move abroad”. David Wheater The Guardian Rumour Mill claims Aston Villa will spend £9m on Wheater, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, with Craig Gardner going the other way. David Villa Sky Sports reports that Valencia spokesman Jordi Bruixola has said they “are not negotiating with any club, neither Spanish nor foreign, about the possibility of transferring Villa", who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Samuel Eto’o The Daily Mail claims that problems securing a replacement for Eto’o, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, has prompted Barcelona to re-think whether they are prepared to let him leave. Michael Owen Sky Sports reports that Owen, who has been linked with a return to Liverpool in previous articles, has said that he “doesn't think” he will stay at Newcastle & there has been “a lot of interest [in signing him] from abroad & quite a bit from home as well”. Owen said he would “definitely prefer” the Premier League, but he “wouldn't rule out” moving abroad. Roman Pavlyuchenko Sky Sports reports that Pavlyuchenko's agent Oleg Artemov claims recent quotes attributed to him that Pavlyuchenko, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, wants to leave Spurs were incorrect. He said Pavlyuchenko wants to stay at Spurs, but confirmed that Roma & Stuttgart have enquired about him. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

Sorry about that - my mistake - it's obviously from the Telegraph, not the Independent

The Mirror has exactly the same article - must be a Press Association (or the like) story

The Independent 22 Jun 2009 Liverpool appoint Christian Purslow as their new managing director By Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter Liverpool have appointed Christian Purslow, a financier with strong links to Merseyside, as their new managing director. Purslow, an Anfield season-ticket holder, will join the board and take over many of the responsibilities of outgoing chief executive Rick Parry, but will step aside when a full-time replacement for Parry is appointed. Purslow's priorities will be to renegotiate the £350m loan with RBS due to be repaid at the end of July and to work with manager Rafa Benitez on summer transfer targets. Purslow, whose background is in private equity, speaks fluent Spanish and has already struck a relationship with Benitez. He is understood to have played a role in the negotiations surrounding Fernando Torres's new contract. A friend of club legend Kenny Dalglish, Purslow was recommended to owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett as a potential new board member and has the support of both of them. Crucially this should allow him to bridge the divide that occasionally appears before the American owners. The new managing director is also said to have decent relations with senior staff at RBS including chief executive Stephen Hester, and club sources said the bank welcomed his appointment. Talks with RBS will take place imminently, with the owners prospects of satisfying the bank's demands enhanced by Gillett's impending sale of the Montreal Canadiens. With Hicks yet to raise finance from his for sale US assets, it remains to be seen if this affects the delicate equilibrium between the owners. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...g-director.html