GWistooshort

Just over a week ago he said he is “very happy at Liverpool [&] in England” & wants to stay http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/index.php?showtop...354&st=7320

A round-up of today's transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Fernando Torres The Daily Mail says Torres will “never” join Man Utd, after reports they would make a £40m bid for him, & gives the rumour a rating of 0 out of 5. Meanwhile, the Daily Star reports that Torres has said “I don’t know anything about United, just that it has been in the newspapers…my team is Liverpool & this is very clear to me”. According to the Star, Torres also said “If it was [up to] me I would bring [sign] David Villa, but that may not be possible. We play well together & link up so well. It’s a pleasure to play with him.” Yossi Benayoun The Liverpool Daily Post says Rafa has “insisted” that Benayoun, who confirmed earlier this month that he had received offers from England & Spain, “will not be sold”. Ryan Babel, Andrea Dossena & Andriy Voronin The Liverpool Daily Post says Babel, Dossena & Voronin are the “favourites” to be sold this summer. The Daily Mirror claims Dossena will be sold to Juventus for £7m. Xabi Alonso The Times claims Real Madrid are still chasing Alonso, “who might cost upwards of £20m”, & have offered Arjen Robben & Gabriel Heinze in part-exchange. Gabriel Heinze, Arjen Robben & Javier Saviola The Guardian claims that Real Madrid have faxed several Premier League clubs a list of 9 player they want to offload, including Heinze, Robben & Saviola, all of whom have been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Glen Johnson The Liverpool Daily Post, the Times & the Daily Express are all reporting this morning that Liverpool had a bid for Johnson accepted by Portsmouth “last night”, with the Times & the Express claiming the offer was about £18.5m including add-ons, while the Liverpool Daily Post says it was for £17m. The Daily Post says Johnson has told both clubs “that Liverpool is his preferred destination” & the Express also says Johnson has “indicated he preferred a move to Merseyside”, with Rafa’s “long-standing interest [in him] thought to have been a major factor [in his decision]”. However, both the Portsmouth News & the Times, in another article quoted by fyds, claim Chelsea is Johnson's 1st choice, with the Portsmouth News saying in an article yesterday that Chelsea were “the favourites” to sign Johnson because he still has a number of good friends at the club & would prefer to be in London, but that any Chelsea move for Johnson “would hinge on the future of Jose Bosingwa”. However, the Express says although Chelsea had made a bid “similar” to Liverpool’s, “sources at Stamford Bridge last night indicated that their interest had waned”, while the Times claims Chelsea were “unwilling to match” Liverpool’s £18.5m offer as were Man City, although the Manchester Evening News claims they “have not expressed an interest in Johnson”. The Portsmouth News reckons Johnson isn’t interested in joining Man City, “who haven't qualified for Europe next season”, because he wants to leave Portsmouth “to push for major honours” & “for Champions League football”, which he believes will “help [him] cement his place as England's 1st-choice right-back ahead of next summer's World Cup”. The Daily Post says Liverpool “are confident the deal will go through”, although the Portsmouth News warned in its article yesterday that any potential deal “is not likely to be completed this week” because Johnson currently on his holidays. Both the Express & the Times say that Liverpool will sell Arbeloa & Dossena to help fund the deal, with the Express claiming that Arbeloa will join Real Madrid for around £8m & Dossena is “likely” to return to Italy “with Juventus interested in a £6m deal”, although the Liverpool Daily Post says “no bids have been received for either player”. David Silva The Daily Mail claims Valencia want to maximise the fee they receive for Silva’s team-mate David Villa so that they can hold on to Silva, who is interesting Liverpool, Man Utd & Real Madrid. However, the Times reckons Valencia want to sell Silva, but are waiting for Franck Ribery’s future to be resolved because they think that the clubs that miss out on Ribery may all go for Silva, driving up the transfer fee. Carlos Tevez The Daily Mirror claims that Rafa “has talked to Tevez’s advisers”, but that the player will choose either Man City, who “remain favourites”, or Man Utd “over the next 48 hours”. The Daily Mail says it “understands” that new Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti personally called Tevez, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, on Sunday to try & persuade him to join Chelsea, but that “Man City remains the most likely destination for Tevez”. Both the Daily Express & the Times also claim Chelsea are trying to sign Tevez, but that Man City are favourites. Michael Owen The BBC claims “key players inside the Liverpool camp” support signing Owen on a free transfer, but that the “failed attempt to bring him back to Anfield before he joined Newcastle [has] probably ended any chance of an emotional return”. The article also claims that Everton manager David Moyes, who tried to sign Owen when he joined Newcastle, “is currently understood to be 50/50 about pursuing a deal this summer”, while Man City “retain an interest” in Owen “as a cheaper option”. It also says that Aston Villa, Panathinaikos, Roma, Spurs & West Ham have all been linked with Owen, but “it is clear” he wants to stay in the Premier League & probably in the Midlands or the North. Micah Richards The Times claims Liverpool “have expressed an interest in Richards”. Sylvain Distin The Times claims that Portsmouth have received a bid or bids for Distin, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. The BBC Gossip Column reports that the Daily Mail claims Bolton are also interested in Distin. Raul Albiol The Daily Mail claims Valencia are ready to sell Albiol, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. David Wheater The BBC Gossip Column reports that the Guardian claims Aston Villa will “step up” their pursuit of Wheater, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “after learning he will be allowed to leave for around £7m”. Peter Crouch The Manchester Evening News claims Man City are interested in Crouch, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, but that Carlos Tevez is their 1st choice. Steven Defour The BBC Gossip Column reports that the Daily Star claims Liverpool are interested in £13m-rated Standard Liege midfielder Defour, whom Aston Villa want to sign. Roman Pavlyuchenko Sky Sports reports that Stuttgart have said they are considering making a bid for Pavlyuchenko, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, & it says they believe they could sign him for £9.5m. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

The Liverpool Echo reported just over a week ago that Arbeloa had said he is “very happy at Liverpool [&] in England” & that he “hopes to continue there” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...252-23803353/2/

The other option is that Valencia sell Silva instead - they said recently they would only sell 1 of him or Villa - although if they only sell 1 it does mean they are more likely to want silly money for him

I'm concerned that Downing doesn't have a strong enough mentality to suceed at a bigger club a la Robbie Keane There is only 1 way to find out though & getting him on a season long loan would allow us to do that at fairly low risk However, if we have to sell Riera as well as Babel in order to bring in Downing + 1 other, we're taking another big risk as with selling Arbeloa & bringing in Johnson & Richards

I think we need to be careful that we're not making too many changes because we need to be able to hit the ground running as soon as the season starts I could maybe accept getting in Johnson & Richards & selling Arbeloa if 1. we still have enough money for our other targets (left mid & back up for Torres are more important IMO than buying the 2nd of 2 right backs), 2. Richards' head is right & 3. we don't sell Arbeloa for less than he's worth & we get Richards on the cheap However, I'd still be worried about the defensively solidity at right-back - both Johnson & Richards need to work on this area & it's something that should improve under Rafa, but it is likely to take time & with Arbeloa gone we wouldn't have a defensively solid option at right back until this happened - & the time it would take them to settle in, especially with us playing zonal marking, while they have both probably played man-to-man all their careers (now that could really mess with Richards head!) I'm struggling to accept selling Riera as well as Babel, partly because I can't see that we'd be able to get 2 replacements in who would be sufficiently better to consider selling both - any suggestions? I think Riera's a good option as back up for left-mid & I think he's likely to improve next season - I think his dip in form last season was due to the fact that he was suffering from having to play so many physical, high intensity, fast paced matches because he wasn't used to it & with last season under his belt plus hopefully some work to improve his stamina he will be more consistent next season

Agree that left-mid & right-back are 2 positions that we should be looking to get new players in However, I think getting rid of either Riera or Arbeloa would be a big mistake as we need 2 good quality options for each position Personally I would sell Babel before Riera IMO we also need a back up striker for Fernando & possibly a 4th centre back depending on whether one of the kids are able to step up

article says he feels he owes the fans something especially after their very public shows of support for him

The article said that "in Tevez's mind, he does not believe it would cause so much bad feeling if he went to City" compared to joining us http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/ju...r-alex-ferguson

A round-up of today's transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Xabi Alonso & Alvaro Arbeloa The Daily Mail claims that Real Madrid will “turn their attention” to Alonso & Arbeloa & that Rafa will “readily accept” £8m for Arbeloa “after sensing he is close to landing Glen Johnson”, but that he doesn’t want to sell Alonso. The Daily Telegraph claims that a rumoured £6m bid for Arbeloa from Real "may be too good to turn down". Andrea Dossena The Liverpool Daily Post Rumour Mill reports that Dossena has said he “hopes there will be an agreement” for his transfer from Liverpool to Juventus & that he “always keeps an eye out for offers from Italy”. Glen Johnson The Daily Telegraph claims that Liverpool have had a £17m bid accepted for Johnson, with part of the fee covered by writing off the £7m still owed for Peter Crouch, & they “remain hopeful of signing Johnson” despite competition from Chelsea & Man City. The Guardian agrees that Liverpool are “confident” of signing Johnson, who it says “is understood to favour a move to Anfield rather than a return to Chelsea”. The Daily Mail claims that Portsmouth “expect” Johnson to leave for £17m “this week” & that “Liverpool are the favourites”, with Johnson “keen on Anfield”. The Times claims Johnson is Liverpool’s “principal target” along with David Silva. Carlos Tevez Sky Sports says it “understands” that Tevez’s representatives will start talks today & tomorrow with Liverpool & other clubs interested in signing Tevez, including Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd & an Italian club & a Spanish club, which is not thought to be Real Madrid. Sky also say they “understand” that Tevez will announce that he would “prefer to stay in the Premier League”. Both the Guardian & the Independent claim that Tevez has told Man Utd boss Alex Ferguson that he wants to leave, but the Independent believes “United have not given up all hope of Tevez remaining with them”. Both papers also claim that Man City are ahead of Liverpool in the battle to sign Tevez because they have said they will pay the £25.5m fee in 1 lump sum, while Liverpool want to spread it over 4 instalments, & they are offering higher wages. The Guardian also claims that Tevez is aware that joining Liverpool would “irreparably tarnish his standing among United supporters” due to “the intense rivalry between United & Liverpool”. David Silva The Daily Mail claims that Real Madrid will “turn their attention” to Silva, as well as Alonso & Arbeloa. The Times claims Silva is Liverpool’s “principal target” along with Glen Johnson. Javier Saviola The Liverpool Daily Post Rumour Mill says that reports in Spain & England claims Liverpool have agreed a fee with Real Madrid believed to be around £5m for Saviola & “an official announcement could be made later this week”. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

From what I've read he is more upset about not starting in the big games, rather than the number of games he has played

There were quite a few reports a few months ago that Man City did want rid & that Richards could be available for less than £10m (not as low as £5m tho I don't recall - more around the £7m/£8m mark) However, there was an article (in the NOTW as well) a few weeks ago that claiming Hughes had changed his mind & decided to keep Richards after the player improved recently http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/3223...h-Richards.html

A round-up of today's transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Xabi Alonso & Javier Mascherano Liverpool have released a statement on the LFC official website saying they have received “no official approach or offer from any club” for either Alonso or Mascherano, “neither [of whom] is for sale”, & that the club “has no interest in the long list of Spanish based players being linked with a move to Anfield as part of any deal”. [The players I have seen us being linked as part of any deal for Alonso or Mascherano are Bueno, Eto’o, Heinze, Negredo & Saviola.] The News of the World claims that Mascherano “is considering leaving [Liverpool] because his pregnant wife Fernanda has been unable to settle on Merseyside”. The article quotes “a Kop source” as saying “it's a big problem for the club”. The paper also claims that a £30m bid from Barcelona for Mascherano is “imminent”. The NOTW also believes that Alonso is “determined to force a move [to Spain]”, while the Sunday Telegraph claims that Real Madrid have been quoted £40m for Alonso, although Rafa “is loath to part with the midfielder” & that Bueno, De La Red, Heinze, Negredo, Saviola & Robben are all possible swaps. Meanwhile, the Sunday Mail believes that the prospect of Alonso joining Real Madrid “may be receding” following Gareth Barry’s move to Man City. Andrea Dossena Sky Sports reports that when asked if Juventus are interested in Dossena & Lyon’s Fabio Grosso, the club’s sporting director Alessio Secco said “I can only say these are names not far from reality”. David Ngog The News of the World claims that Ipswich want to take Ngog on a season long loan, having had him watched at the recent U-21 Toulon tournament. Fernando Torres The Sunday Express claims that Man Utd are planning a £40m move for Torres, which “would have to be seriously considered” by Liverpool because of their “severe cash problems”. Alvaro Arbeloa The Sunday Times claims that Real Madrid want Arbeloa. Glen Johnson In one article, the Sunday Telegraph claims that Liverpool, who it says bid £12m bid for Johnson in January, have made a bid believed to be in the region of £18m for him, as have Chelsea, while Man City are believed to have made an inquiry about his availability. However, in another article, the Telegraph says Man City were said to have made an £18m bid for Johnson earlier this week, but “a fresh offer, thought to be in the region of £15m-£18m, has been made by either Liverpool or Chelsea”. In the 1st article, the Telegraph says that “sources close to Johnson suggest his personal preference may be a return to Stamford Bridge” while in the 2nd article it says “Johnson is said to favour a move to Anfield over a return to Stamford Bridge following a disappointing spell in West London”. The Telegraph also claims that Bayern Munich have enquired about Johnson, but say he is “thought to prefer to stay in England in the build up to next summer's World Cup”. The paper also says that if Johnson were to move to Liverpool it would likely to be part-funded by writing off the £7m Portsmouth still owe from Peter Crouch’s move last year. The Sunday Express claims Chelsea & Man City are the favourites to land Johnson, who will have to be sold to ease Portsmouth’s debts if the proposed takeover of the club collapses. Carlos Tevez The Sunday Mirror claims Liverpool have “made a late move in the Tevez race, but their hopes of spreading a £25m deal over 4 years will not appeal to Kia Joorabchian”. According to the News of the World Tevez has “declared his preference for Man City over Liverpool”, although in another article, it says Chelsea will make “a last-ditch bid” to hijack Tevez's move to Man City. The Mirror claims Tevez will agree a £140,000-a-week deal with City when he returns from his current holiday, while the Sunday Mail says it is “understood” Tevez has accepted a £160,000-a-week deal with City, although City officials are worried Tevez “may yet be persuaded to stay at Old Trafford”. According to the Sunday Telegraph Man Utd “may yet keep hold of Tevez” as “Old Trafford sources” said the club is doing "everything possible" to keep him. Although the Sunday People claims Man City are “still confident” of signing Tevez, with “a source” saying "United have matched the fee but it looks like the City wages will swing it". David Silva The News of the World claims Rafa “has still not given up hope of signing Silva” & he has “revived his interest” in Silva “since Tevez declared his preference for Man City over Liverpool”. However, the Sunday Telegraph believes Silva is "likely" to join Real Madrid. Both the Sunday Mirror & the Sunday People believe Man Utd are in for Silva, with the Mirror claiming that while Rafa “has long coveted Silva” he “could not compete against United in a bidding war”. Samuel Eto’o The Sunday People claims that Liverpool are fighting with Chelsea & Inter Milan for Eto’o, who would cost around £22m, after he rejected Man City’s offer of £160,000 a week in wages because he didn’t want to give up Champions League football, but that he is “likely to end up at Inter”. However, the News of the World claims that Man City are “in the box seat” in the race for Eto’o because Liverpool, Inter Milan & Man Utd, who are the other teams that have enquired about him, are not prepared to meet his wage demands of €1m a month after tax. The Sunday Telegraph says reports linking Eto'o with Liverpool “are wide of the mark”, although it claims Man Utd are tracking him. Stewart Downing The News of the World claims that Downing will ask Middlesborough to allow him to go on a season long loan with a view to a £12m permanent deal next summer when he holds talks with Boro this week, which he hopes will review his chances of a move to Spurs or Liverpool, with Rafa “reviving his long-term interest” in Downing. The Sunday Mirror claims Man Utd are interested in Downing & Boro will offer him in an attempt to sign Gary Neville & Paul Scholes. Micah Richards The News of the World claims that Liverpool are preparing a £5m move for Richards, whom Man City boss Mark Hughes is ready to offload, & that Richards would “welcome the move”, although Arsenal could also make an approach. Goran Pandev Sky Sports reports that Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco has said rumours that the club are interested in Pandev, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, are “groundless”. Ezequiel Lavezzi Sky Sports reports that Napoli’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis has threatened not to play Lavezzi at all during the 2 years remaining on his contract because of his recent behaviour, which has seen his agent continually claiming that Liverpool want to sign him, despite a firm public denial by Rafa. Luc Castaignos The Sunday Mail claims Liverpool are battling Arsenal to sign 16-year old Feyenoord striker, Castaignos, who was the top scorer in last month’s European Under-16 Championships, & is rated at £3m by his club. However, the Sunday People claims Man Utd have made a £4m offer for Castaignos. Raul Albiol The Sunday Telegraph believes Albiol, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, is "likely" to join Real Madrid. Michael Owen A number of papers report that Owen’s management company WMG has sent a 34 page sales pitch about Owen, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, to a “select group” of teams in the hope of securing the best possible deal for him. The News of the World claims it was sent to 8 Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, Everton, Portsmouth & West Ham. WMG's chief operating officer Sam Rush said "Although there's been interest from abroad, Michael told us he'd prefer to stay in the Prem”. Peter Crouch The News of the World claims Crouch, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “is heading for the Portsmouth exit door after launching an astonishing attack on the club” & “is being pursued by a string of top clubs - including Spurs”. The Sunday Express claims Crouch will have to be sold to ease Portsmouth’s debts if the proposed takeover of the club collapses & that Spurs will have to pay “up to £25m” for him. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

A round-up of today's transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Andrea Dossena Sky Sports reports that Dossena's agent Roberto La Florio has said Rafa told him Liverpool are “keen on holding onto Dossena" & that no offers have been received for the left-back. Javier Mascherano The Daily Mirror claims that Barcelona have “stepped up” their bid to sign Mascherano by offering Samuel Eto'o to Liverpool in a swap deal. Yossi Benayoun The Daily Mail says reports in Israel claim that Spurs have joined Barcelona in making an approach for Benayoun, who Liverpool have priced at “£12m for foreign clubs, but even more for any of Liverpool's Barclays Premier League rivals”. Glen Johnson Sky Sports reports that Portsmouth Executive Chairman Peter Storrie has confirmed they have received a bid for Johnson & that he “wouldn't think it would be too long" before a deal is concluded. Storrie also confirmed that he pledged to Johnson that if 1 of the big 4 wanted him Portsmouth wouldn’t stand in his way, “provided the deal is right”. Sky says that Liverpool, who some reports believe are the front-runners for Johnson, Chelsea & Man City have all been credited with making a bid. According to Sky, when asked if an offer of £15m-£18m had been tabled, Storrie replied “You may not be a million miles away from the mark”. The BBC claims that Portsmouth value Johnson “at about £18m”. The Daily Mail claims Rafa “will step up his efforts to finance a deal for Johnson over the weekend & hopes to unveil [him] in the next few days”. The article claims that although Chelsea have had a £17m bid for Johnson accepted by Portsmouth, & Bayern Munich & Man City have also enquired about him, Rafa “remains confident” of signing Johnson, who has become his “No 1 target in recent weeks”, “after it emerged that Anfield would be his preferred destination”. Liverpool will match Chelsea's £17m offer by waiving around £7m outstanding from Peter Crouch's move to Portsmouth, which “should be enough to push a deal through”. Javier Saviola The Daily Mail claims that while Rafa “admires” Saviola, his “priority at the moment is to sign Glen Johnson” & once that deal is finalised he will look at other purchases. Sylvain Distin The Daily Mail claims Liverpool have lodged a £2m bid for Distin. Alvaro Negredo The Daily Mirror claims that Liverpool have made a £6m offer for 23 year old Real Madrid striker Negredo, although it warns that Valencia want Negredo from Real as part of any deal for David Villa. David Silva The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool have “held talks with Silva’s agents over recent weeks”, as have Real Madrid, but that Liverpool “will be hindered by the lack of funds available”. The article claims Man Utd are also interested in Silva, despite Valencia stating that he “is definitely not for sale”. David Wheater The Daily Mail says that reports suggest Aston Villa will offer £6m plus striker Marlon Harewood to Middlesborough in exchange for Wheater, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, but that Boro don’t want to sell & will only consider it if they receive a”sizeable offer”. Gary O’Neil The Daily Mail claims that Fulham are the 1st club to make “firm contact” with Middlesborough about the £4m-rated O’Neil, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Moussa Sissoko The Times believes Spurs are trying to sign 19 year old Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko, whom it claims Liverpool have watched in the past, & who it believes has also attracted interest from Bolton, Newcastle & Juventus. Antonio Valencia The Independent claims that Man Utd made a £17.5m bid for Valencia last night. Wigan confirmed that a firm offer was on the table but did not disclose the amount. Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan said negotiations will start “very shortly”. Transfer window closes 5pm 31 August

A round-up of today's transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Andrea Dossena The Daily Mirror claims that Dossena is “close” to a £6.5m move to Juventus. Yossi Benayoun The Liverpool Echo says that Benayoun “seems set to reject” Barcelona’s advances after they enquired about his availability & “it looks increasingly likely that he will be offered a new contract”. Gareth Barry The Liverpool Daily Post reports that Rafa “thought he had agreed a deal for Barry to join Liverpool this summer”. Javier Saviola The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool “hope to complete” the £5m signing of Saviola from Real Madrid “next week”, although Real “may offer Saviola as part of a renewed bid” for Xabi Alonso. Luc Castaignos The Times claims that Liverpool are competing with Arsenal & Chelsea for 16-year-old Feyenoord striker Castaignos, with Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger “expected to travel to the Netherlands this month” to talk to him. Glen Johnson The Daily Express, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Telegraph & the Times all claim that Man City have made a move for Johnson, with both the Express & the Mirror claiming City have offered £18m for him, which would blow Liverpool, Chelsea & Spurs “out of the water”, with the papers putting the wages on offer from City at £100,000-£120,000 a week. The Mirror claims Chelsea were “hopeful of completing a deal [for] Johnson within the next fortnight”, while the Times said he “had been expected to move to Liverpool this summer”, although the Express believes Liverpool “are unlikely to have the money to get involved in an auction”. The Express says Johnson, whom it believes a £12m release clause in his contract, may not make a decision on who to join until he returns from holiday in 2 weeks time. It also claims that Portsmouth “are resigned to losing Johnson”, “even though Arab billionaire Sulaiman Al Fahim remains on course to complete his £60m purchase of the club within the next few weeks”. David Silva The Times claims Silva is “being monitored” by Man Utd & although “Liverpool were hoping that Rafael Benítez's relationship with the Spain winger - & the draw of playing with Fernando Torres - would be enough to lure Silva to Anfield, such ties will mean nothing if Valencia are able to find a club willing to pay a higher fee”. However, in another article, the Times says Liverpool or Real Madrid “appear a more likely destination” for Silva than Man Utd. Carlos Tevez The Times claims Tevez “still wants to leave” Man Utd & that “Man City lead the pursuit of the striker’s signature, ahead of Liverpool & Chelsea”. Alvaro Negredo The Independent says reports in the Spanish media suggest Real Madrid “have agreed” to let Negredo join Valencia as a makeweight in a deal to sign David Villa, an outcome the Liverpool Echo describes as “likely”. Daniel Pranjic The Independent says that “reports in the Netherlands suggest Pranjic's proposed transfer from Heerenveen to Bayern Munich may fall through” as “it is believed that Bayern are unwilling to match Heerenveen's valuation” of Pranjic, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Ezequiel Lavezzi Sky Sports reports that Lavezzi’s agent continues to claim that Liverpool made an offer, “believed to be in the region of £12m”, for Lavezzi, despite denials from both Rafa & Napoli in recent days. Sky says that Lavezzi is “also rumoured to be a target of Chelsea”. David Wheater The BBC Gossip Column reports that, according to the Press Association, Middlesbrough say they won’t sell Wheater, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, unless they receive “an offer they cannot refuse”. Antonio Valencia The Times claims that Man Utd made “a firm inquiry” on Monday about Valencia, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, & “are expected to submit a formal bid shortly”, with Wigan wanting close to £20m, but Utd expecting to get him for about £15m. Transfer window open: 1 July - 5pm 31 August Deals can be done before 1 July, but a player can only move to his new team when the window is open.

Several papers say they understand the £80m will be paid in 1 lump sum http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...er-1703020.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...im-Benzema.html although the Times reckons it will be paid in 4 instalments http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6481214.ece

Chelsea's Spanish scout, Juan Cruz Sol, has said that Chelsea made an offer for Villa when he met recently with Valencia president Manuel Llorente, but Valencia rejected it “because negotiations with Real Madrid are very advanced” & “there's no possibility that Villa will go to Chelsea because he wants to go to Real”. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5374863,00.html

to be fair the Daily Mail says "reports in Israel" ie they are repeating a story that was in an Israeli media outlet

A round-up of yesterday's (Thursday 11 June) transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Ryan Babel The Liverpool Echo reports that Babel’s agent Winnie Haatrecht has said that Babel, who “could fetch around £10m”, “is very happy at Liverpool & doesn't want to leave”. The Independent believes that Babel “is seemingly a player Benitez wants to retain rather than sell” after he “intimated Babel still has a future at Liverpool” by “pointedly including Babel's name in a list of young players he felt would be important next season”, “despite claims earlier in the summer the Dutch winger would be allowed to speak to other clubs”. The Echo reports that Rafa has challenged Babel “to establish himself as a permanent fixture in his starting line-up”, saying he thinks Babel “can do more” than just be “an impact player”, but that “he has to improve tactically” before he “starts games & has an impact from the beginning”, which is what Rafa is looking for from him. Sky Sports says Babel been linked with moves to Arsenal, Aston Villa & Spurs. Yossi Benayoun The Daily Mail says reports in Israel claim that “according to sources close to Benayoun, senior figures at Barcelona have contacted their Anfield counterparts & enquired about his availability & asking price”. The article says Atletico Madrid, Man City, West Ham & Villarreal are all also interested in him. Javier Mascherano The Daily Mirror claims that Mascherano will be “disciplined” by Liverpool “for what the club sees as unsanctioned talks over a possible move” to Barcelona. Gareth Barry The Guardian reports that Spurs manager Harry Redknapp claims that Liverpool & Spurs both made bids for Barry this summer, but the wages offered by Man City blew them both "out of the water". Barry said "I waited the whole of last summer for something to materialise with Liverpool & it never did...I could have waited for other offers [but] I wasn't willing to go through that again…It was a bold decision, made very quickly." David Silva The Daily Telegraph reports that Valencia declared on Thursday that Silva is “untouchable”, which is backed up by Sky Sports, who claim that “Valencia have decided that Silva is not for sale” & that his agent & father, Fernando Silva, “was told that he would not be sold unless an incredible offer was made”. Sky says that according to Spanish paper AS, the “only way” Silva could be sold is if Valencia received a higher bid for Silva than they did for David Villa who they appear willing to sell. In another article, Sky reports that when Rafa was asked about Liverpool’s interest in Silva in an interview in Spanish paper Superdeporte he said “I do not speak about Silva to avoid more confusion in these times of rumours”. Ezequiel Lavezzi Sky Sports reports Napoli general director Pierpaolo Marino has said that Napoli “have not received” any official requests for Lavezzi, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles & whose agent has said on several occasions that Liverpool were interested in him, although this has been strongly rejected by Rafa, & that they “have not placed Lavezzi on the market". Tuncay Sky Sports reports that Tuncay, been linked with both Liverpool & Chelsea, has said he wants “to play for another 3 years in England”. He confirmed that “there is contact with several teams”, but “cannot say how much or when until any formal offers have been made” & that there is interest from England, Germany & Spain. Tuncay also said he doesn’t want to return to Turkey yet, where he has been linked with a return to former club Fenerbahce, but said if he did return “it would be for Fenerbahce”. Glen Johnson The Guardian claims Chelsea are “likely to step up” their attempts to re sign Johnson, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, if their current 1st choice right back Jose Bosingwa joins Bayern Munich, who have publicly confirmed their interest in the player. Carlos Tevez The Guardian reports that “a source close to” Tevez has said that Liverpool is an “option” for Tevez, along with Chelsea & Man City, with “no one option is more serious than another”, but that staying in the Premier League is "1st choice" for Tevez, “who is reportedly also attracting interest from other European clubs”. The source also confirmed that Tevez’s advisers “will start talking with different clubs” now the World Cup qualifiers are over & “It should take 2-3 weeks for ¬Carlos's future to be finally decided”. The source also said that the chances of Tevez remaining at Man Utd are “small”, despite a personal phone call from Alex Ferguson to try & persuade him to stay. The Daily Telegraph also believes that Tevez will “consider his options over the next fortnight”, while the Daily Mail believes “a decision from Tevez is expected in the next 48 hours”. Alvaro Negredo Sky Sports reports that Negredo, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool, has said he wants to stay at Real Madrid after they bought him back from Almeria. Valencia are reported to want Negredo from Real as part of a deal for David Villa head to Real Madrid & Negreado said that if he did have to leave Real than “Valencia would a great option”. Asked about Liverpool he said “I have already said that I think that is a great club & it would be incredible to play alongside Torres”. Negredo revealed that Real have told him to rest & that when I returned we would see what happens”. Stewart Downing The Daily Mail claims Liverpool & Spurs are “monitoring Downing’s progress”, while Man Utd “could be willing to consider him as a cheap option”. Javi Martinez Sky Sports reports that Martinez has said he “doesn't want to move” from Atletico Bilbao as he is “very happy” & has “many years” left on his contract. Sky says that Liverpool & Man City are “reported to be leading the race for his signature” & Martinez said "it makes me proud that such teams (are interested), but at the end of the day you never know what is real & what isn't”. Gary O’Neil The Daily Mirror claims that O'Neill, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, is “set to leave” Middlesborough for £5m, with Fulham “the new favourites” to sign him, although he had been expected to join former club Portsmouth. Gabriel Heinze The Daily Mail reports that Spanish paper Sport says Rafa “maintains an interest” in “long-term target” Heinze, who is surplus to requirements at Real, & “is ready to pounce if the price is right”, although the article also says that reports in France claim his return to former club PSG is “almost fact”. David Villa Sky Sports reports that Valencia have confirmed that they have received “an offer for Villa”, who has been linked with Liverpool, Man City & Man Utd in the past, but that it is “not from Spain”. Chelsea's Spanish scout, Juan Cruz Sol, has said that Chelsea made an offer for Villa when he met recently with Valencia president Manuel Llorente, but Valencia rejected it “because negotiations with Real Madrid are very advanced” & “there's no possibility that Villa will go to Chelsea because he wants to go to Real”. Valencia have confirmed they are in talks with Real about Villa. Transfer window open: 1 July - 5pm 31 August Deals can be done before 1 July, but a player can only move to his new team when the window is open.

A round-up of yesterday's (Wednesday 10 June) transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… Xabi Alonso The Times reports that Rafa has said “Our position is very clear. We want to keep our best players & Xabi has done really well for us. He has 3 years left on his contract so he is not for sale". However, the Daily Mail claims that Real Madrid, whose spending won’t stop with Kaka, are still interested in Alonso &, in another article, that a deal is “still in the offing” for Alonso. In yet another article, the Mail reports that Spanish paper AS says Rafa is demanding £43m plus Carlos Bueno & Alvaro Negredo for Alonso from Real, who are “determined” to sign him. Javier Mascherano The Times reports comments from Mascherano’s agent Walter Tamer that “If Barcelona really want Mascherano, he will sign for them”. The Daily Mail says that reports in Spain suggest Rafa “will reluctantly sanction the sale of Mascherano if it means holding on to Xabi Alonso”, but would insist on Barca raising their current offer of £22m to at least £26m. In another article, the Mail "understands" that Man City have shown an interest in Mascherano following Barca’s approach, but that Liverpool “would not sell Mascherano to another English club under any conceivable circumstances”. The article says that reports in Spain “continue to insist Barca are close to signing Mascherano”. However, the LFC official website reports that Rafa “is adamant Mascherano is not for sale at any price”. Rafa said "We do not want to sell & Javier is very happy here. I have spoken to Javier 2 or 3 times this summer – the last time was only last week – & he was very happy, very positive. He gave me the private number of his agent, Walter Tamer, & again the conversation was very positive & was all about football. Walter told me that 2 clubs with big, big names were asking after Mascherano – & I told him to forget it, that Javier was happy in Liverpool & he was not for sale. So I was surprised to see the agent's comments today. He has a long contract & any club can forget about bidding for him. They can offer £40m or even £50m, we don’t want to sell." Glen Johnson The Daily Mirror claims that the £12m-rated Johnson will leave Portsmouth within the next fortnight for a Champions League club in order to “guarantee his World Cup place”. Liverpool & Chelsea “are favourites to sign him”, with Chelsea “at the head of the queue” although Johnson “has reservations about going back to Stamford Bridge”. Man City & Spurs are also interested. The Daily Mail claims that it is looking “increasingly likely” that Johnson will join Chelsea, for s fee in the region of £10m; however, in another article, the Mail claims Liverpool will “press ahead” & try to sign Johnson as soon as he returns from England duty. David Silva The Daily Mail reports that Valencia’s new President Manuel Llorente has said that he is “going to try to save one” of Silva or David Villa after the club’s debts were revealed to be even worse than expected at £470m. Villa is reportedly close to joining Real Madrid. Goran Pandev The Daily Mail says that Arsenal are reportedly battling Juventus for the signature of Pandev, with Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Fiorentina & Spurs also possibly interested. The article claims Lazio want £17m for Pandev, while his agent suggests £13.5m might be enough. Antonio Valencia The Independent reports that Valencia’s agent Diego Herrera has said the player, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, feels it is “the right time for him to leave” Wigan following Steve Bruce’s departure. The paper says Man Utd “seem to have a clear run if they follow up their informal inquiry…with a firm offer” as Real Madrid’s interest appears to have cooled after they made an offer for Valencia in January. However, the Daily Mail claims that Real are still interested in Valencia. Roman Pavlyuchenko The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool are interested in Pavlyuchenko, who Spurs are looking to off-load, as are a number of Spanish & Italian teams, including Roma. Transfer window open: 1 July - 5pm 31 August Deals can be done before 1 July, but a player can only move to his new team when the window is open.

There have been reports that he met with Silva while away

It was reportedly Perez's dream team named in Spanish paper Marca at the weekend Casillas & Ramos instead of Canizares & Puyol as already said Marcelo at left back Apparently Perez couldn't choose between Ribery & Raul for 1 spot Silva was also in the team in 1 of their places http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...ldos-there.html

Been busy for a couple of days, but hope to have caught up by the end of today/early tomorrow A round-up of Tuesday's (9 June) transfer speculation from the mainstream media concerning us & players we have recently been linked with… General transfer news Rafa has made the following comments about Liverpool’s transfer budget, which the Liverpool Echo describes as “limited”: “I won’t talk about any figures & I can’t say how much we have. Clearly we don’t have too much to spend but I think we have enough money to add the 1 or 2 players that we need.” Rafa also said the priority so far has been “to extend the contracts of our key players” because “some clubs were asking for our players”. Xabi Alonso Real Madrid President Florentino Perez “has ruled out a move for Xabi Alonso”, according to Sky Sports, after he said "I haven't heard any news that they [Liverpool] plan to sell him. It's obvious Benitez is counting on keeping him." The Daily Mail puts the likelihood of Alonso joining Real at 60%. The Daily Mirror claims that Alonso “has decided he will leave Anfield” after “being touted around for a second summer in succession”. The paper claims that Rafa was willing to sell Alonso for £23m because he “thought he had an agreement” to sign Gareth Barry for a reduced because he was in the final year of his contract, “allowing him to generate up to £15m in profit”. But he “was caught cold over the sale of Barry to Man City” & “is left with the difficult task of having to persuade a player to stay who he has repeatedly tried to sell”. Andrea Dossena Setanta reports that Dossena’s agent Roberto La Florio has said that Dossena “has never said, as some sections of the press reported, that he wants to leave” Liverpool, but that both Juventus & Genoa have contacted him about signing Dossena, but negotiations “are far from starting”. Javier Mascherano The Daily Mail states that reports in Argentina claim “Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has already spoken to Javier Mascherano about a move” & Barca “are lining up” a £22m offer. Ezequiel Lavezzi The LFC official website reports that Rafa “has dismissed reports Liverpool want to sign Lavezzi” as claimed by the player’s agent. Rafa said "We never contacted Lavezzi & we have no intention of doing so. We want to put a stop to these rumours." The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool, Arsenal & Man Utd have watched Lavezzi, but that he “remains low down on their lists of priorities at this stage”. Silvain Distin The Daily Mail claims Aston Villa have targeted Distin, who was “the subject of a £2m approach from Liverpool last week” & that Distin “is keen on Anfield”, but Villa “hope to offer the prospect of more regular 1st-team football”. Glen Johnson The Daily Mail claims it will take “at least” £15m, which they state is Liverpool’s entire transfer budget, to beat Chelsea to the signing of Johnson. David Silva The Daily Mail says Liverpool & Real Madrid are interested in Silva, but there is a 70% chance he will join Real, for around £25m. The Daily Telegraph claims it “looks more likely than ever” that Liverpool will miss out on Silva who is in talks with Real. Daniel Pranjic The Daily Telegraph claims that Pranjic is seen by Liverpool as a back-up for Silva, but report that Pranjic is “on the verge of joining Bayern Munich”. Carlos Tevez The Guardian claims that Tevez, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “is seriously considering” joining Man City & “will announce his plans after he has been released from international duty on Wednesday” with it being “a straight choice” between Man City & Man Utd. The Daily Telegraph claims Liverpool have “lost considerable ground” on Tevez. Goran Pandev Sporting Life reports that Lazio striker Pandev, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles this summer, has said he has “decided to leave” the Italian club. The article says Pandev, who scored 9 league goals for Lazio this season, was a reported target of Liverpool, Chelsea & Spurs last summer, & “has been strongly linked with a move to Juventus” this summer. Michael Owen Aston Villa’s official website reports that Martin O’Neill has dismissed newspaper reports claiming Villa have offered Owen, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, a 2 year contract, but it did not deny that Villa are interested in him, although the Birmingham Post believes that they aren't. However, the Guardian claims Owen “is among the Villa manager's summer targets” & that Villa “has registered its interest & the possibility of a meeting [with Owen’s agent] has been broached”, although no offer has been made to Owen so far. Owen “is understood to be prepared to see his basic wage slashed from £110,000 a week to around half that sum”, but “will not countenance signing a pay-as-you-play deal or agree to any clauses that could further reduce his wage in the event of injury” & will demand “a significant signing-on fee”. It also reports that Man City could make a bid for Owen depending on their progress with other targets. The Daily Mirror also believes Villa are interested in Owen. Raul Albiol The Daily Mail says Liverpool, Barcelona & Real Madrid are all interested in Albiol, but there is a 75% chance he will join Real, for around £15m. Antonio Valencia The Guardian claims that Valencia, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, “has been the subject of inquiries from Man Utd & Real Madrid in recent days, although Wigan have not [yet] received an official offer”, while according to the Daily Mirror Valencia is determined” to join Man Utd, who are willing to pay £17m, & will demand that Wigan, whose £20m valuation is putting a deal “at risk”, let him join Utd this summer “or he will sit out his contract”. Transfer window open: 1 July - 5pm 31 August Deals can be done before 1 July, but a player can only move to his new team when the window is open.

There's been quite a bit of speculation that most of the Dutch players at Real, incl Sneijder, could be available/sold this summer It was rumoured that Sneijder & Robben could go to AC in part-exchange for Kaka, but that obviously didn't happen

It's been said by a couple of people earlier in this thread that the bloke making those quotes isn't Masch's agent