Leto leads Anfield exodus

Sebastian Leto is set for Anfield departure after reports in the Greek media has mentioned Liverpool have accepted a bid from Panathinaikos.

According to the reports, the Greek club has bid in the region of £3million for the Argentinian midfielder.

Leto has spent last season on loan at Olympiakos, after problems securing a work permit to play in Britain and made 22 appearances for them.

Leto was signed from Lanus for £2million in summer 2007, he made a couple of pre-season appearances and played in the Champions League qualifier against Toulouse but problems with his passport saw him only play in the reserves for the whole of his first season in England. He since gained an Italian passport but was rejected a work permit.

Leto won’t be the last of Anfield’s departure this summer. Even though, Rafa has mentioned, “We can sign one more player if necessary, but that’s without any players leaving”, when asked about the signing of Glen Johnson earlier.

Andriy Voronin, Alvaro Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena, all are available and expected to leave for the right fees. Hertha Berlin make an U-turn on Voronin, who has spent last season on loan and scoring 11 goals in the Bundesliga. The German club are keen to sign Voronin on a permanent basis.

With Real Madrid waiting on the wing to access the Alonso’s situation at Anfield. They will make a bid for Arbeloa and Liverpool are prepare to listen to their offer. We have learned that Rafa will not sell Arbeloa on a cheap, with the right-back who still have one-year contract left at Anfield. The Reds demands £6million for the Spanish international fullback.

The press has reported that Juventus have made an approach to Liverpool on the availability of Andrea Dossena. The Italian left-back, who failed to hold down a regular place at Liverpool, would like consider his playing future sooner rather than later as the World Cup 2010 just around the corner.

Another player who is on the departure list are Charles Itandje. Malaga are reported to have made contact with Liverpool in regards to French keeper.

With the Anfield outfit also boasting Diego Cavalieri among their goalkeeping options, they are willing to discuss a possible deal for Itandje.

By clearing all the mentioned deadwoods, Rafa can increased his transfer funds by £25million. Hopefully with the amount recouped, Rafa will be able to sign a star player.

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YNWA,

Red's Fury™

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Moores quits Liverpool board

Former Liverpool chairman David Moores has resigned from the Club's Board of Directors. Moores will, however, retain his position as Club Honorary Life President.

Moores, whose family became one of the richest in Britain with the creation of the Littlewoods empire, took the role of chairman in 1991.

However, with the club in need of increasing investment he sold his majority shareholding to current American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks two years ago.

The move proved to be an unpopular one among fans after the pair borrowed £350million to finance the takeover and then grand plans for a new stadium were continually delayed.

Moores himself admitted last year he felt "heartbroken and let down" by the owners, and his disappearance from the board follows the decision by chief executive Rick Parry - who helped negotiate the takeover with Gillett and Hicks - to step down this summer after 12 years at the club.

Time for the current co-owners to bring out their cheque books. They came with promises of bringing Liverpool Football Club forward but until now we still back tracking, lacks of big-names signing.

So here are my suggestions;

• David Villa - £45million
• David Silva - £30million
• Glen Johnson – £18million
• Luis Antonio Valencia - £17million

Total spending - £110million

And ship these players out of Anfield;

• Sebastian Leto - £2million
• Andrea Dossena - £6million
• Andriy Voronin - £8million
• Charles Itandje - £5million
• Ryan Babel - £8million
• Alvaro Arbeloa - £8million
• Jack Hobbs (already sold to Leicester) – undisclosed, estimated around £1.5million
• another £7million Peter Crouch’s transfer fee

Total recouped - £45.5million

Total funds needed from the co-owners, another £44.5million after minus the promised £20million for Rafa’s spending. If Rafa can convinced Alonso to stay, then let Mascherano go for £35million should increased Rafa’s coffer and the co-owners just need to give Rafa another £9.5million on top of the £20million.

Spending £30million a season are considered the lowest among the big four team in Premiership. Last season, Manchester United was able to splashed £32million on Berbatov alone. It’s time for Rafa to wave his magic wand again, we can trust Rafa to sell his flops soon.

 

 LIVERPOOL XI

Reina

Johnson – Carragher – Skrtel – Aurelio

Alonso

Valencia – Gerrard – Silva

Villa – Torres

You must be wondering why sell Arbeloa? If the Reds do signs Johnson, Rafa must sell before buy. Philipp Degen won’t attracts any suitable club after he was sidelined for the whole season through injury. Degen would be the cover for right-back position.

The probabilities of Javier Mascherano leaving are very high, if Barcelona are willing to pay £35million for him. But in order for Mascherano to leave, Rafa must keep Alonso. If both of them left, it would be a disaster!

Why bring in Valencia? Well, the Reds hasn’t had an out-and-out right winger for a long time. Dirk Kuyt has done relatively a great job for Liverpool last season but the formation are still unbalance without a proper winger.

David Silva, aren’t we all hope he’ll sign for us? Getting rids of Babel and Dossena has freed up the left-hand side of midfield with Albert Reira as the backup left winger for Silva.

David Villa, the on-form striker at the moment. His partnership with Torres on international level are phenomenal. Linking him up with Torres at Anfield, we are the team to beat next season.

All of these are just my two cents. If Liverpool do get the right players in on time before the season kick-off, the painful and long wait for a league championship will be over soon. Come home number 19.

What do you think of it? Leave your thoughts here.

 

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YNWA,

Red's Fury™

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Liverpool unwanted striker leaves Hertha

Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin reportedly ending his loan spell with Hertha Berlin at the end of this season.

Voronin, failed to shine in the Premier league with Liverpool, has found his form back in the Bundesliga, scoring 11 times.

With the football season relatively over in England, Rafa Benitez was hopeful of bolstering his transfer funds with the sales of his overrated players, hitting a snag.

"[The match against Karlsruhe on Saturday] was my last match as a Hertha Berlin player,"

"I want to wish the club and their fans all the best in the future." – Voronin, Die Welt, Setanta Sports

I remember he was once been told that his services would no longer required at Anfield. And Hertha has the option to make his loan deal permanent.

Anyone wants him for free?

 

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YNWA,

Red's Fury™

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Reds finished pre-season friendly in style

Unable to blog in the past two weeks due to work commitment. I will continue to update this blog after 19th August when the season gets underway. I will miss the season opener against Sunderland.

The Kop came to see their new number seven net his first Liverpool goal on his Anfield debut, but they were left to settle for a 90th-minute winner from Andriy Voronin that flattened Lazio.

Robbie Keane worked tirelessly to impress his new admirers, but clear chances would not fall his way despite a dominant first half showing by The Reds.

As Rafa Benitez rested his top stars during the second half, it appeared Liverpool's final pre-season friendly would prove a damp squib, but Voronin arrived in the nick of time to smash home a 16-yard volley.

There was still time for Lazio to attempt to spoil the party, heading past Diego Cavalieri in injury time, but the linesman's flag ensured The Reds went home happy.

Read more...

Earlier, Reds rip apart Valenrenga in Olso.

Liverpool collected another pre-season triumph after they beat Valerenga 4-1 in Oslo on Tuesday, although an injury to Steven Gerrard took the shine off the win.

Xabi Alonso opened the scoring on 20 minutes, but the hosts did hit back through after the break when Bojan Zagic fired in before Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun, and David Ngog sealed the win.

The injury to Gerrard didn't look that serious as he walked off the pitch. However, the Reds medical staff will have to closely monitor the situation with the new season rapidly approaching.

Read more...

July 12: v Tranmere (Wirral) 1-0

July 16: v FC Lucerne (Grenchen) 2-1

July 19: v Wisla Krakow (Friborg) 1-1

July 22: v Hertha Berlin (Berlin) 0-0

July 30: v Villarreal (Villarreal) 0-0

August 2: v Rangers (Glasgow) 4-0

August 5: v Valerengen (Oslo) 4-1

August 8: v Lazio (Liverpool) 1-0

Five wins in eight matches, scored thirteen goals in the process. The Reds has had a good summer warm up to the new season. Does Rafa has what it takes to win the Premier League title this season?

YNWA,
Red's Fury™

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Reds' quadruplet near Liverpool exit

Liverpool's gaffer, Rafa Benitez keen to recover as much as possible from this summer transfer window after splashing £18million on Robbie Keane to financed his other targets.

Four Reds' players reportedly heading for Anfield exit to enable Rafa to pursuit at least two more players before the season start. The quadruplet who will be leaving are Andriy Voronin, Jermain Pennant, Alvaro Arbeloa and Charles Itandje.

Blackburn manager Paul Ince has made contact with Anfield official on the availability of Jermain Pennant and had offered £4million for the Liverpool's winger. The figure could rise to £6million depending on Pennant's performances at Rovers. This move was triggered by the following move of David Bentley to Tottenham and Ince needs a cover for right side of midfield as he failed to hold on to Bentley.

Charles Itandje, last season second choice goalkeeper, has moved down the pecking order since the arrival of Diego Cavalieri as Reina's cover. But his move to Galatasaray was hindered by a contract's dispute at Anfield.

Although, Voronin featured in all Liverpool's pre-season matches and are regaining his form. The arrival of Robbie Keane and David Ngog spells the end of his Anfield career. He's being courted by Olympiacos, Borussia Dortmund and Hamburg. Rafa keen to sell him at £6million after he arrived on a free from Bayer Leverkusen a year ago.

While, what surprises us is Alvaro Arbeloa wants to leave Liverpool and return to his native Spain for personal reasons. Liverpool has received a bid in the region of £6million for the fullback. This news has thwarted Rafa's pursuit of Gareth Barry as Aston Villa wants Steve Finnan included in the deal.

Liverpool will be short of cover at right-back if Finnan was sold to Villa. With Philipp Degen set to miss the early part of the season due to groin strain, the deal for Barry was put on hold until Rafa could sign a new fullback. Reds are rumoured to have courted Schalke 04 right-back, Rafinha who are unsettled at his current club.

The sales of the quadruplet would bolster Rafa's coffer to £19million and it should be enough for him to try and sign a fullback and a winger. Rafa still hopeful of signing Gareth Barry after he went silence over this deal. But he won't jeopardize his move for a winger as money was again the main stumbling block.

Should we see Rafa going for Valencia's David Silva and Schalke's Rafinha? I still doesn't see where will Gareth Barry fit into our system since Xabi Alonso still a Liverpool member. We also have Lucas and Mascherano commanding the midfield area.

YNWA,
Red's Fury™

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