MFletcher

I'd love Alves to sign. I've watched a few Sevilla games this season, notably the home game against Barca and he was the outstanding player on the pitch. I've never seen anyone with so much drive and stamina in the closing stages. Sevilla needed to score to get the head to head record equal with Barca, and Alves was tearing up the pitch in the dying minutes to try and score. He'd be a fantastic signing. I reckon he'd play right back though, rotating with Finnan. With Gerrard cutting inside a lot, Alves would be able to provide the width on the right. Finnan does go forward, but he'd be the defensive option. And Tevez to the Mancs is baffling for me. They can only play ten outfield players, and they seem to be collecting forwards. Surely Rooney, Anderson and Tevez will all play in the same areas of the field? As a loan deal is suggested, I reckon it's just to stop him going to one of their competitors. Typical really.

Shame. Either way, if the fee quoted is correct, then we could be looking at putting Djib's transfer fee into third place in the Liverpool list. At 23, he'd have real time to adapt, develop and become a quality, consistent player.

At 23, Quaresma has scope for improvement and will give us more years at the top of his game than Simao - a favoured option for the wing for a lot of people.

I don't debate that mate. I think he's got all the skill in the world and he can take his man on - something we definitely lack. My real concern is his work ethic. He's always struck me as the sort of character who would lose the ball, throw his arms in the air and wander back. Obviously that's not what Rafa wants. I know you're the stat-man on RAWK (I read, but don't post there) and if you could list Quaresma's assists that'd be great. I'd be interested to know how many came from crosses and how many were penalties etc.

That chap Kaizer will be delighted at links with Quaresma... I think he's a player with great skill, but I'd be wary of both his work ethic and his consistency. And could two wingers spell the end of Pennant or Kewell?

Same as me mate, same as me. I was getting ready to ridicule you after you'd given the usual rubbish about "knowing a fella etc. etc." but you weren't allowed to say.

Where'd you hear that psl mate?

I believe Bellamy lost the right to Rafa's respect when he threatened Riise with a golf club in the Algarve. The sooner he's gone the better.

Bellamy is off. "Is he part of your plans?" "I am happy to have him here. I'm very pleased to have signed Fernando." "I was talking about Craig Bellamy." "I know *wry smile*" No real surprises. He took a paycut to come here apparently. I'm extremely excited by this move now it's been completed. And we're after wingers apparently. Wingers. As in plural. Unless he meant we're looking at different options, but wingers suggested to me one for each side. Maybe I'm wrong.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...-name_page.html Fernando Torres passion was key - Rafa Jul 4 2007 EXCLUSIVE by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo FERNANDO TORRES’ “passion for Liverpool” was the key to Rafa Benitez smashing Liverpool’s transfer record to land the Spanish striker. The 23-year-old passed a medical last night and was due to be unveiled at Anfield today. And delighted boss Benitez said: “Atletico Madrid had better offers and the player had better offers. “But he always wanted to join Liverpool. That was the key for me. “We needed to work hard because there were other clubs who wanted him that we knew about - other clubs offering more money. “But the player said straight away ‘I want to join Liverpool’. He said we were his first choice and that was the key for me. “He has taken a pay cut to come here. Okay he is still on a very good contract because he is a top player. But to be a successful club you need players with passion and Fernando has passion.” Liverpool completed a £20m deal yesterday, with the £5m rated Luis Garcia moving in the opposite direction, and Benitez added: “I am happy for everybody at the club, for George Gillett and Tom Hicks who agreed to sanction the deal and for Rick Parry who worked hard to make it happen. “He is a fantastic player who can score goals and will work hard for the team. “I have also seen that he is a very hard worker in training sessions. “He has talent, but he can also improve.” Torres has finished top scorer for Atletico in each of the last five seasons, but Benitez believes the player’s goals record can get even better. “If you analyse the figures,” he said, “he was a footballer playing first team football at 17-years-old and it is very difficult to score goals consistently at that age. “Then Atletico Madrid were not a top four team and Torres was playing up front on his own. “But if you read the comments of the Madrid supporters they say he couldn’t have worked any harder for the team. “To score the goals he has at his age, every season, shows he has great potential and he has the capacity to improve. I hope that at a big club surrounded by good players he will get even better.” Benitez also admitted that the sale of Garcia in the opposite direction had been a sacrifice. “Luis was a fantastic player for us,” he added. “He had ability and he could change a game. But it is a good move for him and his family. Atletico is a good club and we are professionals.”

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...070703-1828.htm TORRES ALL SET TO SIGN ON WEDNESDAY Jimmy Rice 03 July 2007 Liverpool Football Club has announced that Spanish striker Fernando Torres passed a medical on Tuesday and will complete his move to Anfield on Wednesday. The 23-year-old is expected to make the deal official on Wednesday afternoon before being unveiled to the media. A club spokesman said: "The player has passed a medical. All the agreements are now in place and he will put pen to paper on the deal on Wednesday." The striker has spent the previous 12 years at Atletico Madrid, the club he supported as a boy. The Spanish giants snapped him up at the age of 11 after he netted 55 goals in his first season at amateur side Rayo 13. Three years after his arrival, Torres was named the best under-14 player in Europe following his performances in the Nike Cup. He signed his first professional contract in 1999 but had to wait until May 27, 2001 to make his debut against Leganes. Still, at 17 years and 68 days, he was Atletico's youngest ever player. Within a week, he'd scored his first goal in a match against Albacete. The 2001-02 season saw him net six times in 36 league appearances, helping his side win promotion to La Liga. Meanwhile, he was still making waves on the international scene. Torres was top scorer and player of the tournament in the 2001 European Under-16 Championships and 2002 European Under-19 Championships, both of which Spain won. The frontman bagged 13 goals during his first season in the Spanish top flight, earning him a first under-21 cap for his country. The 2003-04 campaign proved to be a momentous one for Torres. Not only did he score 19 goals in 35 league appearances, but he was also handed the club captaincy. At 19, he was the youngest skipper in Atletico's long and illustrious history. On top of all this, the youngster was also called up into the senior Spain squad, making his full debut in a friendly with Portugal on September 6, 2003. The following April he scored his first international goal against Italy. He was then part of the Spain squad which traveled to Euro 2004 in Holland and Belgium. Torres got his first and only taste of European competition when Atletico entered the Intertoto Cup prior to the 2004-05 campaign. He scored twice in five games but tasted defeat in the final at the hands of Villarreal. The player nicknamed El Nino (The Kid) because of his youthful appearance was selected for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where he scored three goals. In May 2007 Torres hit the headlines when he revealed the words 'You'll Never Walk Alone' on the inside of his captain's armband during a match against Real Sociedad. If he completes his move to Anfield as expected on Wednesday, he'll leave Atletico with a record of 82 goals in 214 league appearances.

McNulty is clueless. Some of his points are laughable. "Ordinary players" - the only player who cost any real money and flopped was Morientes. And his comments on him are disrespectful. He didn't suit the EPL and moved back to Spain - no harm done. Honestly, the suggestion that one £27M signing is indicative of us fighting on a level playing field is ridiculous. He'll be the only player we've spent more than £14M on. How many of those players have Chelsea/United bought in the last three seasons alone?

I'm pretty sure I read that before as well. Although the bit about the Atletico president going on TV was new. Perhaps one of our Spanish contributors could clarify that point?

Any word on the press conference that Atletico were allegedly holding an hour ago?

Riise would suit Newcastle - who have been linked to him. He's strong, quick and direct. He's not particularly useful at left back as his defending is a bit suspect and he doesn't have the trickery or ball delivery required to be a good left midfielder. I reckon a good offer would see him move on, but it's whether he'd go to a team like Newcastle or not that would be the deciding factor. I'd be amazed if a top European club came in for him.

It was in about five papers that evening though (the very early editions). I reckon he knows someone who works in the media. The Heinze link must've been common knowledge in media circles for it to appear in that amount of papers in one day despite no previous link.

The sports new on Five Live claims we've agreed a contract with him with wages in the region of £90,000 a week ahead of a £26.5M move. I trust the BBC. When they say "BBC Sport understands...", I usually take what comes afterwards as fact. I don't know about anyone else though.

Hunter was just on SSN. Flicked it on half-way through, but he was going on about how we wanted to give him a six year contract and Torres and his agent only wanted a four year contract. He also claimed that we were happy to let Atletico give the fee as high as possible when we'd paid "nowhere near that". I'm inclined to believe the BBC when they say the price is £26.5M... Just thought I'd report it, but I thought he was talking rubbish.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1779 £8m Yakubu the target as Torres snubs Eastlands move By Joe Bernstein - More by this author » Last updated at 22:20pm on 30th June 2007 Yakubu is set to become Sven Goran Eriksson's first signing as Manchester City manager. With Thaksin Shinawatra expected to reach the 75 per cent of shares he needs to buy the entire club this week, Eriksson is ready to commit and will be unveiled before the team return for training on Thursday. Middlesbrough want £8m for 24-year-old Yakubu, which will not be a problem after Thaksin promised Eriksson a £50m transfer kitty. But a cheeky £27m bid to hi-jack Fernando Torres's move from Atletico Madrid to Liverpool fell at the first hurdle when the Spain striker refused to even contemplate a move to Eastlands. ----- No surprises there.

Is that not what I said? I said there were many differences, but the principle was the same.

I know Elisha mate, but it has the same "base" problem. Inspirational club captain faces dilemma following big money bid at crossroads in his career.

The BBC article is new though. The last time they had one up it said negotiations were nearly completed. Now it's saying they are completed and we'll be paying £26.5M. It's also said that Garcia will move to Atletico for £4.5M, independent of the Torres transfer. Basically we're paying £22M plus Garcia. The change of heart thing is what scares me. The difference between Fernando and Stevie is that we were at least in Europe. Torres could be looking at another season of league and King's Cup mediocrity. I just hope it goes through very soon.

Torres strikes me as a number 9. Big, strong, quick, good with both feet, good in the air. Maybe I'm wrong, but that was the role I've envisaged him playing for us.

The difference is that we can come up with legitimate reasons to link us with Tevez. Just became the papers don't get wind of it doesn't meant we aren't doing a deal. This has been done to death, but: 1) We've already dealt with Kia for Mascherano. 2) From the "paper talk" you value highly, Kia appears willing to do a loan deal for this season - thus not impacting the budget too much. 3) He cited Inter as a club he'd like to move to because of the number of Argentinians - meaning language wouldn't be a problem. We have Mascherano, Insua, Paletta, Leto and Rafa and most of the coaching staff speak Spanish also, along with Pepe, Xabi, Arbeloa etc. 4) Kia came out recently and said his heart was in the Premiership. Chelsea have Shevchenko, Drogba and Pizarro and he'd play third fiddle there. Arsenal have the money and is a possibility. United have just spunked £50M+ and Anderson got a WP yesterday. He also gave an interview lambasting Curbishley's style - so staying there might not be an option. 5) Masch has given two interviews - in the first he spoke of Tevez talking over a "probable" move to Liverpool. In the second, he's encouraging him to join us. 6) People have spoken of Paco saying we'd sign a "number 10". 7) Football Rumours says so - it must be true. I could go on, but these are good reasons for us to think that we could be in for him. If he wants to stay in the Premiership, we would be the logical choice. Considering we have a loan for Masch in place, there's every chance we could work one out for Tevez this season and then spend some of our budget to secure them both permanently next summer.

I thought he came out with a lot of credit in the games at the end of the season (eg. Portsmouth away).