GWistooshort

Transfer news/speculation from this morning's papers............ Surprisingly little this morning given the stuff on Barry over the last few days. Hicks & Gillett "would prefer to use the £18m [that Barry would cost] to bid for the Valencia winger David Silva, although he is believed to be close to joining Barcelona". http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/au...elsea.liverpool Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger "will intensify his search for a new central midfielder after conceding that Abou Diaby will be ruled out for at least a month". "Wenger says he cannot rule out a move for Aston Villa's Gareth Barry or Liverpool's Xabi Alonso". "I have money to spend," said Wenger. "I do not know yet if it will be the Swiss [Gokhan Inler] or somebody else." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/au...l.premierleague Wenger "is willing to wait until the transfer window is about to shut" before he signs a new centre midfielder, with Alonso, Barry & Man City's Michael Johnson, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, all on his "shortlist". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4500459.ece

King Kenny & Carra on Robbie Keane............ 'Robbie is one of those players who can come in straight away and hit the ground running,' said Dalglish, who won seven League titles as a Liverpool player and led the club to the Double as a player-manager. 'He has played all his career in the Premier League with a one-year spell in Italy, so he doesn't need to take any time to settle in. 'He can make an impact from the first whistle. There is no getting used to the speed of the game or anything like that. 'All he has to do is get to know the boys and tune in to their games, where they like to make runs, where they are going to want him to run to and so on. 'He will give the manager plenty of options in the striking positions. He can play straight through the middle as a partner for shoulder to shoulder. Or you can withdraw him slightly from Fernando and play him in the hole between the strikers and midfield. 'He will be effective in either role. You only have to look at how he fitted and moulded his game around Dimitar Berbatov at Tottenham to see the potential that he and Torres have as a pairing. Berbatov scored a lot of goals from direct final passes from Keane, or from his movement and ability to create space. 'And when Keane gets into position himself in front of goal, he can finish as well as anyone. 'Torres is maybe just a step above Berbatov because he is a lot younger so you have to be licking your lips at the prospect of them being unleashed on the Premier League.' Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher believes Keane is a worthy successor to Dalglish. 'It's great to have Robbie Keane here,' he said. 'I'm probably delighted more than the rest of the lads because Robbie is one of the players who has caused me all kinds of problems down the years. 'He has this knack of getting goals against us but he also has a great allround game. 'The potential of the partnership between Keane and Torres has got the fans excited and if they click together then we really will have a front two who are up there with the best. Robbie will always weigh in with 15 or 20 goals but he is a goal creator as well as being a goalscorer. 'He plays in that position just behind the main striker but the great thing about him is that he always comes up with his fair share of goals. 'He has been brilliant for Tottenham over the last few years. He's a really special player - and that's why the manager was ready to pay £20m for him. It's a lot of money, but we have bought real quality. 'The problem I've found trying to mark Robbie is that he has the ability to play in a variety of positions. 'One minute he is playing right up at the top of the attack and trying to get behind you. Then he drops deep to find space and you don't know whether to follow him. 'Defenders like to do as little thinking as possible but with Robbie you really have to be on your game because he can drag you all over the place. 'His partnership at Spurs with Berbatov has been one of the best in the League and we're hoping he can replicate that with Torres. 'On paper, it looks like the perfect partnership. 'We've got Torres, trying to use his pace and his clever runs to get in behind defenders, while Robbie can drop deep to find space and pick teams apart with his passes. And what makes it even more dangerous is that Torres also has the ability to provide the service and Keane has the quality to get on the end of things. 'It's not the first time we've had top strikers in my time at the club. When we did the Treble we had Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and Robbie Fowler. I wouldn't want to insult them by saying Keane and Torres will be the best. 'But for a long time, Liverpool have not had anyone capable of filling the No7 shirt that means so much to this club. 'I don't like putting so much pressure on other Liverpool players but Robbie is definitely in the same mould as Keegan, Dalglish and Peter Beardsley.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...d-Dalglish.html

Hits the woodwork too much for my liking

The prize goes to Earl Hafler. Does anyone know what the prize is?

Transfer news/speculation from this morning's papers............ Hicks & Gillett value Gareth Barry at £12m & "are only prepared to do business" at that price, leaving Rafa "furious" & "unhappy". http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-20690507/ Espanyol winger Albert Riera says the speculation linking him with Liverpool is "nothing but rumours" & that "more than ever, I am a part of this club [Espanyol]". Man Utd "have lodged a €20m bid" for David Silva, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, & are prepared to raise their offer to €25m, while Arsenal "have also made an official enquiry". Silva's contract talks with Valencia "have stalled" & he "is also said to have received an offer from Barcelona" although they "are yet to lodge a formal bid". http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_desp.php?id=53 Silva is "unhappy that Valencia are not offering him the contract he feels he deserves", and despite recent speculation linking him with Liverpool, Man Utd & Arsenal, "his heart is set" on a move to Barcelona, who "are preparing a €20-€25m bid" having "already reached a verbal agreement with Silva". Valencia have rejected Man Utd's €25m offer for Silva, who "will only contemplate leaving Valencia for Barcelona". http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_desp.php?id=54 Arsenal are "ready to make an £8m move" for midfielder Michael Johnson, who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, after he rejected a new deal at Man City. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/g...ers/7552157.stm Won't bother covering Bascombe's articles from today's NOTW as they've already been posted on here.

Virtually all the papers yesterday said there is discord between Rafa & the owners http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/index.php?showtop...p;#entry2174552

Conceded by Xabi?????

thanks fyds, appreciated

thanks Jimmy

Tony Barratt in today's Liverpool Echo says no offers have been received for Kuyt, contrary to reports yesterday - sounds like Hamburg made an inquiry, but didn't actually follow that up with an offer http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-21498057/

I know, it's disgraceful!

Transfer news/speculation from this morning's papers............... The £18m advance from Hicks & Gillett to sign Barry "has still not been forthcoming and – in what may be a means of masking their failure to raise it – it is understood that they have now voiced concerns about Barry's limited sell-on value at the end of a proposed four-year contract which would take him to the age of 31. They have also queried the player's worth to a club who have an abundance of central midfield players...Another issue raised is understood to be the £18m transfer fee which Villa have been asking for all along. Why these questions were not raised earlier by the Americans is a mystery, adding strength to the suggestions that two individuals whose total cash investment in the club was the £5m they each put in when it was purchased in February 2007 simply cannot raise the money. After working so hard to get a deal in place for Barry, Benitez will be devastated if it is called off...& such a development would shatter the uneasy peace which has reigned over Anfield this summer. Benitez is known to have been bewildered by the lack of a breakthrough on Thursday. It has emerged that he assured the Barry camp that morning that the money would be forthcoming and contact between Anfield and the Americans appears to have followed later that day or yesterday morning. Barry is desperate to sign for Liverpool but has made it clear that he does not want to be sitting around until transfer deadline day – 1 September – in the hope of a move...he does not want to end up burning all bridges at the Midlands club for a move which is not to take place. Though Barry's advisers have been careful not to set further deadlines, there is already a feeling that he is being strung along and though they retain some optimism that the Americans' money will be forthcoming, the player appeared last night to be a victim of Liverpool's limited resources." http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...nds-889319.html Rafa is "heading for another conflict" with Hick & Gillett because they "have stalled over funding an £18m move for Gareth Barry", which has "angered & embarrassed" Rafa who "believed a deal was on the verge of completion last week". However, Rafa "now fears the transfer is about to collapse, following a week-long silence from Hicks & Gillett about meeting the asking price". Losing out on Barry "would be galling enough" for Rafa particularly after "he led Barry to believe the move would go through", but he "even turned down the chance to sign other candidates for the midfield anchor role, notably Portsmouth’s Sulley Muntari". "Anfield officials were convinced they had captured Barry last week, only for Villa to insist on a last-minute restructuring that would have meant paying the fee in two instalments, rather than three." Rafa "will now demand answers" from Hicks & Gillett & "is sure to go on the warpath" if they fail to sign Barry. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...Barry-deal.html Hicks & Gillett "are threatening to pull the plug" on the deal for Barry "with the credit crunch taking its toll". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...ase-Zigic-.html The failure of Hicks & Gillett to produce the funds to sign Barry "has prompted long-term suitors Dubai International Capital to let it be known they are still waiting in the wings with their own proposals for the club. A source close to DIC said: "Just because it is has been a quiet summer does not mean DIC have lost interest. They are happy that things have now become low key, and they are awaiting developments." And there is also speculation a former prospective buyer of the club, and several rich American-based Liverpool fans, have let it be known they are prepared to help the club out of their cash problems. As soon as it was suggested the American owners were looking to borrow money to fund the deal, there were City sources - admittedly close to the DIC bid - who insisted borrowing would be difficult in the current climate." http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...bid-889027.html Rafa's relationship with Hicks & Gillett "reached crisis point last night" when it emerged that not only had they "vetoed the manager’s bid to buy Gareth Barry but that the American duo had turned down an offer of a £12m interest-free loan to help to buy the Aston Villa midfield player. The loan - which The Times understands was proposed by a millionaire Liverpool fan concerned about the ramifications for the club if the deal fell through - was offered this week and rejected by the owners". The loan "would have financed the initial instalments demanded by Villa". Hicks & Gillett "agreed to provide the £18m to buy Barry a week ago", but they "have made a U-turn and told Benitez on Thursday that Barry is too expensive & lacks resale value". "The owners had failed to express their reservations about Barry during the protracted transfer saga & their misgivings this week drew suspicions that they could not find the cash to pay for him", although they "have strenuously denied rumours that they are in financial trouble. Sources close to the owners suggested last night that they had refused the loan because they had enough money to seal the deal themselves." Spokesmen for both Gillett and Hicks refused to comment last night. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4488880.ece Hicks & Gillett "were initially led to believe [by Rafa]" that Barry "would cost considerably less than £18m, hence Liverpool's opening offer of £10m, & that a deal was all but in place to sell Xabi Alonso to Juventus for £16m. But, when a formal offer for Alonso from Juventus - or from any other club for that matter - failed to materialise & the cost of signing Barry soared, Hicks and Gillett began to ask questions". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4489281.ece Barry's transfer "was close to collapse last night" with the player "considering re-committing his future to Aston Villa" & Rafa "admitting the deal was in doubt". "It is [Hicks & Gillett's] reservations over Barry's transfer, not a lack of resources, that has threatened the move and their relationship with Benítez." Rafa said yesterday "We have not been able to bring in Barry but it is not a question of money, I don't know what it is...we need another left-sided player. I cannot say now who that will be but Barry can fill that position and play in others, too. The rules will say we need four English and four associated players and Barry is English, who can play in three different positions, but I cannot say any more. All I can say is I will try my best but I don't know too much why we haven't signed Barry." Barry "is losing patience and wants his future clarified before the start of the new season". He is prepared to stay at Villa "if the saga drags into next week". http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/au...pool.astonvilla Hicks & Gillett "have yet to follow up on the £18m offer [for Barry] they were willing to sanction last week" & they "have been seemingly forced into a rethink". http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...64375-21501635/ The setback suffered in the Barry transfer saga "is likely to prove fatal". "A great deal of work must be done between the pair [Xabi & Rafa] if their relationship is to be repaired." http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...64375-21501348/ Man Utd "have made an approach for David Silva", who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles, with the player’s agents informed of the interest by fax yesterday. Silva has rejected Valencia’s latest offer in contract talks between the player & his club & "negotiations have stalled, with both sides said to be some considerable distance apart". Barcelona "are also preparing a bid for Silva". It "would appear that it is David Silva who will be sacrificed in order to bring some much needed cash to the financially trouble club [Valencia]". http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_desp.php?id=51 Silva's transfer to Barcelona is "only a matter of days away." Although apparently his agent has said "There is no doubt that David Villa will be staying at Valencia". Aston Villa are preparing a bid for midfielder Ruben de la Red, who has been linked to Liverpool in previous articles, & "is also said to be attracting interest from Arsenal". http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_desp.php?id=50 Arsenal, who have been linked with Gareth Barry & Xabi Alonso in previous articles, have failed in a bid to sign Villarreal's midfielder Marcos Senna. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...Villarreal.html Swiss midfielder Gokhan Inler has moved closer to securing a transfer to Arsenal. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/au...arsenal.watford

I'm fairly sure "the possibility" has been added since I read the article earlier this morning. If not, apologies.

From today's Liverpool Echo......... Liverpool's Gareth Barry swoop on the rocks Aug 8 2008 EXCLUSIVE by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo LIVERPOOL'S move for Gareth Barry was today in major doubt with Tom Hicks and George Gillett still to give the proposed deal the go-ahead. Rafa Benitez had hoped Barry would already be a Liverpool player by now after Aston Villa gave the Reds the nod to bring the long running saga to an end last Saturday, when Martin O'Neill said he would no longer stand in the way of a deal. But six days later the transfer is still to be done, leaving Barry in limbo and Benitez furious at the lack of progress. It now seems increasingly likely that Hicks and Gillett will refuse to back their manager's judgement on this occasion, and the chances of the proposed £18m transfer taking place are receding by the hour. Benitez identified the 27-year-old England man as a key signing for this summer and was even willing to sacrifice Xabi Alonso to get the deal done. But, after months of haggling with Villa, Liverpool are still no nearer to concluding the transfer and Benitez is becoming increasingly resigned to the belief that Barry is unlikely to join the club during this transfer window. The ECHO understands that Liverpool's American owners have major concerns about how much value the signing of Barry would give the Reds. A proposed four-year contract would take Barry to 31 years old and Hicks and Gillett doubt he would have a significant sell-on value at that stage of his career. They also believe the figure Villa are demanding for the England man is inflated and do not want to be held to ransom, particularly with Liverpool able to call on the services of Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Damien Plessis and Lucas in central midfield. But Benitez remains adamant that Barry would improve his squad and believes that even at a cost of £18m the deal is still worth doing as he can play in several positions and would bring vast experience of the Premiership and English football in general. After working so hard to get a deal in place, Benitez will be devastated if it is called off at the eleventh hour, and would inevitably demand answers from Hicks and Gillett. The situation is made even more delicate by the fact that Liverpool's pursuit of Barry has been so public and a withdrawal from the proposed transfer at such a late stage would cause severe embarrassment. Villa had finally agreed to do business and, with Barry desperate to move to Anfield, Benitez had hoped the deal was a formality.He will not take kindly to the club failing to bring in another of his top targets. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-21492180/

I think you're right.

Transfer news/speculation from this morning's papers.......... Gareth Barry "would consider pulling the plug on his prospective move to Liverpool...if the transfer is not resolved come the start of the Barclays Premier League season in 8 days' time". Barry "is becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of time the deal is taking...& he is not willing to wait much longer". Rafa "has been waiting patiently for Hicks & Gillett to produce the cash promised to him last week, but that has yet to materialise amid rumours that the club's American owners have run into more financial difficulties, claims that were strenuously denied yesterday". If Hicks & Gillett don't provide the money, Rafa's hopes of signing Barry "will be dependent on him offloading Jermaine Pennant & Andriy Voronin given that he already has about £10m in the coffers". However, "Liverpool have yet to receive an offer for either player". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4481669.ece Barry's move "is in fresh doubt as the club's owners have failed to put the money in place to complete the deal", despite having "confirmed they would underwrite the £18m transfer, allowing Rafa to sign Barry by the end of this week without 1st selling players". "But the money has not arrived, prompting fresh speculation about their commitment to the club". Rafa "will not give up hope of securing the money needed" & is "hoping Villa will agree a deal to take Steve Finnan in part-exchange for Barry, meaning he will need to raise around £6.5m from the sale of players". http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-20688749/ Barry's transfer to Liverpool "seems as far away as ever" as "there seems to be no hurry from Liverpool's American owners to come up with the loan that would allow the £18m transfer to finally go through". Barry's transfer "may well happen next week", but Rafa "must still generate some additional transfer funds himself". "Xabi Alonso is not going to be sold now, nor it seems is Yossi Benayoun...Voronin is available at £6m, as is Pennant, so Benitez will have to work hard in the last three weeks of the transfer window to bring in as much cash as possible if he wants to recruit". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...shed-Lazio.html Rafa "seems no nearer having the capital to conclude the £18m move for Barry" & is "waiting for...Hicks and Gilette to finance the deal". http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ust-888141.html It "seems now that Benitez will look to sell Pennant & Voronin to finance the move [for Barry]". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...ool-summer.html Hamburg's offer for Dirk Kuyt reported yesterday was £10m. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/au...iverpoolhamburg Hamburg bid £16m for Kuyt. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...64375-21490163/ Midfielder Michael Johnson has turned down Man City's offer of a 5-year contract "reviving interest from Liverpool, who bid £4m for him last summer", as well as Arsenal & Newcastle. Aston Villa & Everton have also "set their sights on trying to sign Johnson". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4481642.ece Reports in Spain say the transfer of David Silva, who has been linked to Liverpool in previous articles, to Barcelona "is only a matter of days away", especially as Valencia "urgently need to find €20m before the end of the month in order to meet an installment on their debts". http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_desp.php?id=49

Valencia have today confirmed that after talks with the agents of David Silva & David Villa "both players are very close to staying". http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11827_3944888,00.html

Transfer news/speculation from this morning's papers............. Hamburg have "failed in a shock bid to sign Dirk Kuyt" after being "scared off" by Rafa's £16m valuation of Kuyt. Hamburg coach Martin Jol, who tried to sign Kuyt for Spurs when he joined Liverpool, made an inquiry after selling Rafael van der Vaart to Real Madrid, but Hamburg "soon dropped their interest" when told the fee. Rafa "is urgently exploring ways of generating funds" as Hicks & Gillett are "still stalling over the extra cash needed to meet an £18m asking price for Barry". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...nsfer-saga.html Gerrard's injury & the presence of Mascherano & Lucas at the Olympic "will increase Rafael Benítez's desire to sign Gareth Barry this week". http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/au...championsleague Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill "expects to receive £18m from Liverpool for Gareth Barry this week". http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-20687306/ Barry "was still waiting for news of any breakthrough on his move to Liverpool yesterday", but "there is a feeling that the club's American owners are willing to provide the cash needed for his purchase". "The Tom Hicks camp appears to be relaxed about the issue – perhaps too relaxed for Liverpool's liking". Hicks & Gillett "may be waiting to discover" how much cash can be raised through sales, though the prospect of Xabi Alonso being sold for £18m "looked less likely than ever yesterday" as he may play in the 1st leg of the Champions League qualifier because of Gerrard's injury which would mean he was cup-tied in the Champions League. "The £6m sale of Andrei Voronin remains a possibility, with several German clubs interested, as does Jermaine Pennant's £4m move, with Blackburn Rovers believed to be among those interested." Right-back Luke Young is expected to join Aston Villa today. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...rry-887237.html Villa "appear" to have narrowed down their options for a right back to Arsenal's Justin Hoyte, Middlesbrough's Luke Young & Chelsea's Paulo Ferreira. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4467090.ece Gerrard's injury will "almost certainly" end any thoughts Liverpool had of selling Alonso to raise money to sign Barry. However, Barry's transfer is "seemingly no nearer completion". "It had been expected the deal would be completed by now, bearing in mind that it was supposed to have been almost tied up last week before O'Neill's self-imposed deadline, which was withdrawn at the weekend. However, any chance of Barry being unveiled at the Lazio game seems long gone." "It was thought that Hicks & Gillett would provide a short-term loan to allow Benitez to sign Barry then sell players", but Rafa "may soon have to look at other means of raising the cash". "If the money is not forthcoming from Liverpool's American owners to push the Barry deal through, Benitez is expected to look elsewhere for finance rather than sell Alonso or Benayoun. Buying Barry would require him to find half of the £18m fee now, the rest payable in a year. So the likes of Jermaine Pennant and Andriy Voronin are likely to be sold to raise around £9m, but that would mean Barry's move is unlikely to be completed until the end of the transfer window." http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ury-887163.html Yossi Benayoun "will join Roma according to the club’s coach Luciano Spalletti". "Despite Liverpool claiming that [he] is not for sale, Benayoun is one of the players Benitez would consider sacrificing should the right offer come along in order to raise funds to finally seal a deal for Gareth Barry". "Speculation continues to mount" over Benayoun's future, with Man City & West Ham also linked with a move for him. "Gerrard’s injury could help convince Liverpool to part with Benayoun" as Xabi Alonso could play against Standard Leige making him cup-tied for the Champions League & a less desirable target for suitors. "It would therefore be less likely that the Spaniard could be sacrificed to help fund the Barry deal." http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...64375-21480610/ Barcelona "have switched attention [from Andrei Arshavin] to Valencia's David Silva", who has been linked with Liverpool in previous articles. Real Madrid are "monitoring" David Villa's contract talks, while Man Utd & Spurs are also "keeping tabs". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...purs-looms.html

From Liverpool Daily Post website................ Xabi Alonso likely to stay after Steven Gerrard injury blow Aug 6 2008 Steven Gerrard’s thigh injury will almost certainly scupper any thoughts Liverpool had of selling Xabi Alonso to raise money for a Gareth Barry deal. The Anfield skipper returned from Oslo having picked up the injury in the 4-1 win over Valerenga and had a scan and further medical tests today. Boss Rafael Benitez believes it is ’touch and go’ whether Gerrard will be fit for next Wednesday’s Champions League third qualifying round, first leg fixture away to Standard Liege. If Gerrard is not fit for that match then Alonso will have to play, considering that fellow midfielders Javier Mascherano and Lucas are away at the Olympics. And once Alonso becomes cup-tied in the Champions League his value will drop significantly. Alonso, valued at over £16million by Benitez, would only ever consider a move to another of the Champions League elite. Otherwise he would be dropping down a level, and the chance to play in the UEFA Cup would not interest him. And with the Barry deal seemingly no nearer completion, despite the green light from Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill at the weekend, Benitez may soon have to look at other means of raising the cash. It was thought that the club’s American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett would come up with a short-term loan to allow Benitez to complete the Barry deal and then sell players. And observers had been expecting the deal to be completed by now, bearing in mind that it was supposed to have been almost tied up last week before O’Neill’s self-imposed deadline, withdrawn by the Villa boss at the weekend. Any chance of Barry being unveiled at Friday’s home friendly with Lazio seems long gone, which puts a further question mark on the Americans’ ability to raise the cash. And Benitez has clearly been impressed by Alonso’s pre-season form - he has scored two in two now - while Yossi Benayoun’s desire to stay at Anfield is obvious, too. Benitez praised Alonso’s performance in Oslo, saying: "Xabi scored a good goal after scoring a penalty against Rangers on Saturday so this is very positive. "He is showing that he is a good professional but then we already knew this and I am very pleased with his commitment on the pitch." Benitez is unlikely to try to order back from China his Olympic trio of Mascherano, Lucas and Ryan Babel, despite the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to allow clubs to pull their players out of the Games. Liverpool declined to comment officially today on the surprise ruling that allows clubs to withdraw their players after Barcelona, Werder Bremen and Schalke appealed. But Benitez does not want to upset his three players who are about to start the tournament later this week, particularly Mascherano, who wants to win a second gold medal with Argentina. To recall them now would certainly leave Benitez with three very unhappy players, all of whom have made it clear they want to be in China. So he will soldier on with the players he has fit for next week’s trip to Liege. And if the money is not forthcoming from the American owners to push the Barry deal through, Benitez is expected to look elsewhere for finance rather than sell Alonso or Benayoun. The Barry deal would require him to find half of the £18million now, the rest payable in a year. So the likes of Jermaine Pennant and Andriy Voronin are likely to be sold to raise around £9million, but that would mean the deal is unlikely to be completed until the end of the transfer window. Meanwhile the Reds have confirmed Sebastian Leto has signed a one-year loan agreement with Greek outfit Olympiacos and not a two-year deal as has been widely reported. The 21-year-old midfielder, who joined the Reds from Lanus in 2007, had his work permit application refused last week and the club were forced to loan him out. Leto’s contract with Olympiacos runs until June 30, 2009 - meaning it is effectively a one season deal - contrary to reports which suggested a two-year contract had been agreed. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...64375-21479197/

From the round up of today's Spanish papers on Guillem Balague's website............ "If both Sport and Mundo Deportivo are to be beleived, then David Silva is edging closer to a move to the Camp Nou. According to the Barcelona based papers, Valencia have offered the player a salary increase that is " considerably less than what the player feels he is worth." (Sport) Sport claims that the player is just "one step away from Barcelona" after agreeing terms on a four year deal with the club that includes "a significant pay increase and terms that are far more agreeable to the player than anything Valencia have offered." The paper claims that Barcelona are preparing a €25 miilion bid that Valencia "will find difficult to refuse: given that the financial situation at the Mestalla means that they will probably need to sacrifice at least one of their two stars - David Villa or David Silva." Mundo Deportivo agrees: " The respective bargaining positions of David Silva and Valencia are some considerable distance apart - all of which favours Barcelona. Talks have been put on hold until next week and Barcelona are quite happy to sit and wait to see how events at the Mestalla unfold." AS is claiming that "Espanyol have no knowledge of any interest from Liverpool in Albert Riera." It has been reported in the British press that Liverpool are chasing the former Man City player who is quoted as having told Sky Sports: "To play in Liverpool is very attractive but I am also very motivated here at Espanyol." http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_desp.php?id=47

They were. Then yesterday quite a few reports started saying that there was a delay in getting the cash. I do wonder whether the reports of a delay in securing the funds needed to buy Barry are a sign that we're trying/going to try to reduce the price?

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From today's Liverpool Echo.............. "AS Roma’s desire to take Yossi Benayoun to the Stadio Olimpico is unlikely to lead to the Israeli midfielder leaving Anfield. Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has set his sights on signing Benayoun and Monaco’s Jeremy Menez but Benitez is not looking to let the midfielder leave with Jermaine Pennant already heading towards the Anfield exit door." http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-21475569/ "Should Tom Hicks and George Gillett get their act together and finally give their approval to the proposed deal, Barry could be a Liverpool player before the week is out. He [Rafa] now wants Gareth Barry to add to what he’s already got and it is now down to Messrs Hicks and Gillett to decide if they are willing to back their manager’s judgement." http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-21475570/

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