Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

oobydooby wrote: »

Rafa must see something in him that we haven't seen yet.

oobydooby wrote: »

We should challenge for the title regardless of our summer transfers, injuries aside. With Agger back, our Achilles heel of last year will be remedied. I expect Babel and Lucas to justify their hype this year with mature match-winning performances and Kuyt should also be back on form. Rafa chased this guy and stuck by him during his multiple and lengthy lean spells. Kuyt delivers on the big stage and is a tryer. Rafa must see something in him that we haven't seen yet. Keane will improve the squad, and the first team, but we're good enough to challenge already.

portuguese newspaper Pu"blico this morning, a well connected Porto/Lisbon rag.
Not sure of the reliability

" Liverpool na oferta para Jao Ricardo Quaresma" Public' o 15.07.08 Os relatórios de manhã de Porto reivindicam que o clube do futebol de Liverpool concordou que uma taxa dos euro 29.5million para a venda de Ricardo Quaresma de Porto F.C que a notícia apenas está quebrando mas reitera as citações de Quaresma certas semanas há isso teve o " assinado para um club" grande; As sugestões que o negócio estêve mantido sob a tampa para finalizar os detalhes que serão anunciados logo.

TRANSLATED INTO:
"Porto Confirm Liverpool In Bid For Jao Ricardo Quaresma"
Public'o 15.07.08
Morning reports from Porto claim that Liverpool football club have agreed a fee of 29.5million euros for the sale of Ricardo Quaresma from Porto F.C
The news is just breaking but reiterates the quote from Quaresma some weeks ago that he had "signed for a big club"
There are strong inside suggestions that the deal was kept under cover to finalise the details which will be announced shortly. More news to follow"

Jazzy wrote: »

cant we just be a normal team and play 442 ?
keane is a centre forward... no matter wat trap says

Albion set to gazump Stoke's £4m Carson bid
Stuart James The Guardian, Tuesday July 15, 2008

West Bromwich Albion may hijack Stoke City's attempt to sign Scott Carson from Liverpool, with Tony Mowbray believed to be considering a late offer for the England international. The Albion manager, who has already inquired about Tottenham Hotspur's Paul Robinson, is in the market for a goalkeeper but he will have to move quickly if he is to secure Carson after Liverpool yesterday accepted Stoke's club-record £4m bid for the player.

It is understood that Carson and his representatives held talks with Stoke yesterday and that the two parties agreed personal terms to pave the way for the 22-year-old to become the first summer signing at the Britannia Stadium. Stoke, not surprisingly, are keen to finalise the transfer but Carson, mindful that Blackburn Rovers as well as Albion are keen to bring in a new goalkeeper, may well seek to buy time before he commits his future to the newly promoted Premier League club.

Other options are likely to be few and far between after the former Leeds United keeper endured a disappointing season last term. When he joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan last August, Martin O'Neill had been expected to make the deal long-term at the end of the campaign but those plans were shelved when Carson suffered a loss of confidence and form in the wake of his calamitous performance for England against Croatia at Wembley in November.

Xabi Alonso's proposed move from Liverpool to Juventus may be in doubt after the Italian giants completed the signing of the Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen. The 28-year-old Sevilla star signed for a reported £7.8m after impressing during his two seasons in the Primera División. Alonso, who plays a similar role to Poulsen, has been a £14m target for Juve. Poulsen will be formally unveiled later in the week but has not wasted any time in expressing his delight at joining the Italian giants. "I cannot wait to begin my adventure with Juventus," he said. "I know I will be able to earn the confidence of my new fans."

Juve's decision to sign Poulsen was received with mixed emotions by the club's fans, because the player is remembered for the controversy that struck Italy in Euro 2004. Poulsen was spat on by Italy's Francesco Totti during the sides' 0-0 draw in the competition, an incident which was captured by Danish television and resulted in the Roma playmaker receiving a three-match suspension.

mike65 wrote: »

Transfer rumours are like buses.

Mike.

SCOTT CARSON will end his Liverpool career this week – but it appears increasingly unlikely Xabi Alonso will follow the goalkeeper out of the Anfield exit in the near future.

Liverpool have accepted offers from Premier League new boys West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City for goalkeeper Carson, who has been told he can leave by Rafael Benitez.

Carson was not at the team’s training camp in Switzerland yesterday, instead holding talks with representatives from the promoted duo ahead of an anticipated decision between the pair within the next 24 hours.

Both clubs have offered deals that, following add-ons and incentives, could generate as much as £4m for the Anfield side.

However, there is still a chance that Blackburn Rovers could make a late bid for England international Carson, with current Ewood Park goalkeeper Brad Friedel thought to be mulling over his future at the club following the recent departure of manager Mark Hughes to Manchester City.

The imminent sale represents a healthy profit on a player who cost just £750,000 when he became Benitez’s first English signing in January 2005.

Carson, though, has struggled to break into the first team and has subsequently made just nine first-team appearances, the last of which came against Luton Town in the FA Cup

more than 18 months ago.

The 22-year-old, who has had loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic, spent the whole of last season at Aston Villa, only for Martin O’Neill to pass up on the chance to sign him on a permanent basis.

But while the keeper is poised to become the latest departure after Danny Guthrie’s £2.25m move to Newcastle United was completed yesterday, Alonso’s proposed move from Liverpool to Juventus could be in doubt after the Italian giants completed the signing of Sevilla’s Christian Poulsen.

Denmark international Poulsen underwent a medical yesterday before signing a four-year contract.

The 28-year-old has signed for around £7.8m, casting huge questions marks over their interest in £14m-rated Alonso, who plays a similar role to Poulsen and had been subject of an offer from Juve.

Benitez revealed last week that Liverpool had rejected the initial bid and were waiting for the Italians to return with an improved offer.

Although Benitez says there would be “no problem” should Alonso stay, it would impact severely on his attempts to bring both Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane to the club.

Both are expected to cost at least £15m and it’s thought unlikely Liverpool can afford to sign both without the departure of another high-profile squad member.

Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt were among the players to begin the team’s training camp in Switzerland yesterday.

Liverpool take on FC Lucerne in Grenchen tomorrow night before playing Wisla Krakow on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Holland's Olympic football coach Foppe de Haan claims Ryan Babel is confident he will be fit enough to play in next month’s Olympic Games.

Babel is almost certain to be called up for the Dutch team should he prove his fitness after missing Euro 2008 through injury.

And de Haan said: “Ryan is very at ease under the words of Benitez. Other Liverpool players are also going to Beijing , so why not him?

“In the past couple of days Ryan has been doing warm-ups at Liverpool with the rest of the group. Ryan is very optimistic about his recovery and he wants to go with us to the Olympic Games very much.”