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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Liverpool made Johnson the highest paid defender

Glen Johnson has signed a £1000,000 a-week, four-year contract at Anfield after Portsmouth accepted his £17.5million transfer fee. Manchester City has made a last attempt to sign Johnson with a lucrative contract offer which prompted the Reds to revised their offer.

This deal has made Johnson one of the club’s highest earners and could fetch as much as £21million at the end of his contract.

With Chelsea are willing to match Liverpool’s bid for the England defender, Rafa admitted that his capture of Glen Johnson was more than he wanted to spend on a full-back.

  “Sometimes you have to spend a little bit more.

“You can’t compete in the top four of the Premier League unless you spend some money.

“We were looking for a player of quality and also somebody who is British because of the new Champions League rules.

“Glen Johnson fits both categories.” – Rafa Benitez, Liverpool Echo.

The player has agreed a deal with the Reds and is expected to formally put pen to paper in the next 48 hours.

Rafa also mentioned that Johnson may not be the last new face at Anfield this summer.

  “We have a plan,”

“We can sign one more player if necessary, but that’s without any players leaving.”

It is interesting to see who will Rafa sign next?

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Real Madrid to raids Liverpool with £38M

Liverpool are now resigns to loosing their midfield maestro and a right-back to Real Madrid after the Reds announced the captures of Glen Johnson from Portsmouth.

Real Madrid are prepared to pay Liverpool £30million for Xabi Alonso and £8million on Alvaro Arbeloa. Liverpool are reluctant to sell his players to Premier League rivals, Chelsea and Manchester City, who are also interested in signing the Spanish defensive midfielder.

Benitez will now concentrate on trying to keep Javier Mascherano, despite Barcelona's interest, and will use the funds from Alonso's transfer to continue re-building his team.

While, on the youth’s development, the Reds has snapped up Rushden & Diamonds, Aaron King, 16-year old striker on two-year scholarship deal at Anfield and will continue his education at the club.

Two days earlier, Liverpool have beaten Real Madrid and Barcelona to the signature of Cadiz teenager Jesus Fernandez Saez. The 16-year old will sign a five-year contract with The Reds.

Cadiz will be paid compensation and, although a figure has not been specified, it is believed to be more than the payment due to the Spanish team to take over the player’s academy contract.

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Liverpool to sign Glen Johnson

Chelsea has planned to hijack Liverpool’s deal but were foiled after Glen Johnson chooses the Reds over the Blues.

Despite interest from former club Chelsea and Manchester City, Johnson, 24, made it clear that his heart was set on a move to Anfield and he passed a medical and quickly agreed personal terms on a four year contract.

Johnson will now become Rafa Benitez’s first major signing of the summer, in a deal which is believed to be worth around £17.5million. But Johnson's impending arrival would seem to suggest Alvaro Arbeloa will be sold to Real Madrid sooner rather than later.

Rafa has sorted out his problematic right side of defence, now he can concentrate to strengthen other key areas of his team’s formation.

I bet Johnson will do a good job for us. What do you think of his capture?

 

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First-team coach feels Mascherano may move on this summer

Barcelona has been courting Javier Mascherano this whole summer and his agent, Walter Tamer met with officials of the Spanish club on last Wednesday. Mauricio Pellegrino, Liverpool’s first-team coach told Sport.es;

  "Every time negotiations are underway, money always makes the decision"

"Anyway, Mascherano is such an important player for us, like other ones can be for Barca.

"I do not want to say anything about it because we already know that in football's world, nothing is impossible." – Pellegrino, Sport.es.

So fellow Reds, is it a good idea to let go Javier Mascherano this summer?

 

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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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Xabi Alonso casts further doubt on future at Anfield

In the recent heat of rumours, Xabi Alonso has fuelled further damage to his future at Anfield. The 27-year old midfielder are on international duty with Spain at Confederations Cup this month.

He has answered a journalist’s question in a recent interview after being asked whether he would be disappointed to start next season at Anfield?

  "I cannot respond to that. But each player thinks about their own future.

"It's clear that on the outside there are reports about your future, but you cannot do much and the only thing you can do is train normally." – Alonso, Mirror.

This has indicated that he’s still haven’t told Rafa Benitez of his intention to remain at Anfield for the next season despite the released official statement by Liverpool.

This news came in the wake of another Liverpool’s midfielder being court by a Spanish club. Are Liverpool going to loose their two most influential midfielders this summer? What are your thought on Xabi Alonso leaving Anfield?

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Chelsea joins Liverpool in the chase for Johnson

Liverpool should have sealed the deal for Portsmouth’s right-back this week but Chelsea is about to hijack the deal by matching the Reds’ £17.5million transfer fee for Glen Johnson according to Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie.

  "The matter will come to a conclusion at the beginning of next week. I do not have a preference over the move, it is up to Glen,"

"The deals are almost identical so it really is down to him and what club he prefers, which one is going to pay him more money.

"Glen wants to play regularly in the Champions League, he has got himself back in the England side so I understand that. Sometimes you have to be fair to players."

"It's a big year for him with the World Cup coming up,"

"Playing Champions League football will make him an even better player than he is today." – Peter Storrie, Team Talk.

The Blues doesn’t want the England international fullback who played for Chelsea between 2003-2007 sign for their arch-rival. Chelsea sold him to Portsmouth for £4million back in 2007 will need to forked out £13.5million extra to get him back.

Even though £17.5million are very steep price for a defender, Liverpool actually paying around £10.5million for the 24-year old right-back. Portsmouth still owing Liverpool the two-part instalment for Peter Crouch’s transfer known to be around £7million.

While on other transfer news, Andrea Dossena’s future at Anfield are still in doubt after the Italian left-back hinted his desire to stay with Liverpool for another season. According to the player’s agent, Juventus are set to make a decision on Dossena next week.

Arsenal has made their first summer signing among the big four. The Gunners signed Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax in an undisclosed fee and it is reported to have been in the region of £10million plus add-on.

Is Glen Johnson right for Liverpool? Leave your comment here.

 

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