Liverpool almost certain to land Newcastle full-back but also keeping tabs on Arsenal’s man

Liverpool's chances of signing Newcastle United full-back have been boosted after Alan Pardew made it known he would be interested in signing Paul Konchesky as a replacement.

Enrique is Liverpool's first choice to solve the club's problem left-back position in the summer and Newcastle's interest in Reds defender Konchesky raises the possibility of a player-plus-cash deal.

The two clubs are yet to open negotiations but Newcastle are privately resigned to losing the £8 million-rated man, who has just one year left on his contract and is also attracting interest from Arsenal and European giants AC Milan and Bayern Munich.

Reds manager Kenny Dalglish has also been keeping tabs on Arsenal full-back Gael Clichy, but Enrique has always been his top target following his consistent displays throughout this season. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Real Madrid are also interested in the Gunners full-back.

The two big spending clubs have placed Clichy on their list of summer targets but face strong competition from Liverpool, who have a long-standing interest in the Frenchman.

Negotiations stalled earlier in the year after Clichy's request for a hike on his £50,000-a-week wages was rebuffed by the club.

Manager Arsene Wenger fears the Gunners' longest-serving player will not extend his stay at Emirates Stadium and is becoming increasingly willing to listen to clubs who will match Arsenal's £5.5 million valuation rather than allow the France international to leave for free in a year's time.

Clichy, who turns 26 in July, is on the radar of a number of top clubs who are in the market for a proven performer at left-back.

However, director of football Damien Comolli was instrumental in bringing Clichy to London from Cannes in 2003 when he was working for Arsenal as their French scout.

City and Real are also in the market for a new left-back as they bid to beef up their squads in the summer.

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Sources: LiverpoolFC.tv, Goal.com

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Liverpool ready to swoop for £15m Tottenham winger

Spurs could be willing to cash in on the England winger after a series of bust-ups with the boss, who feels the player is not improving and does not respond to orders.

Tottenham are willing to sell Aaron Lennon for £15 million this summer following a breakdown in his relationship with Harry Redknapp.

The Spurs manager is fed up with below-par performances from the England winger and is ready to listen to offers for him.

Lennon has scored just three goals in 42 matches this season and, although he has chipped in with eight assists in all competitions, only three of those have come in the Premier League.

His relationship with Redknapp has steadily deteriorated over the last two seasons following a string of disagreements, culminating in a barely concealed falling-out following Tottenham’s 4-0 Champions League defeat at Real Madrid last month.

The Spurs boss has become increasingly frustrated by what he believes is Lennon’s failure to respond to orders.

“Harry feels Lennon is not learning, not improving and not listening to instructions,” a Tottenham source told Goal.com. “He has been really disappointed by Lennon’s performances since the first half of last season and does not believe he is as willing to run at the full-back as he should be.”

Glaring holes first started to appear in Redknapp’s relationship with the 25-year-old in a 1-0 home defeat against Stoke City in October 2009.

The Spurs manager would not allow Lennon to come off when the player insisted he had an ankle problem but he ended up subbing himself with 10 minutes to go in any case even though Redknapp had already used all three substitutes. “Harry was furious and they had a massive row afterwards,” the source added.

The pair clashed again in the Christmas 2009 fixture against West Ham. Lennon was struggling with a groin injury but was made to play on until the 89th minute and ended up being out for four months and nearly missing the World Cup.

The latest flare-up came at the Bernabeu, where Lennon withdrew from the team five minutes before kick-off after failing to shake off an illness that the club later confirmed had been affecting him for more than two days before the game.

Redknapp denied being disappointed with Lennon but made some thinly veiled comments and the player used his Twitter account the following day to declare that he “will not be made a scapegoat saying they only knew just b4 KO”.

Lennon has clung on to his regular starting place but insiders insist that is due more to an absence of competition on the right flank.

“They have a really bad relationship and Harry wants to cash in,” said the source. “Spurs have not yet started touting him around but if they get a good offer, they will probably sell him.”

Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli is a big admirer of Lennon from their time together at Spurs and could be willing to test the water with an offer for the former Leeds man, who joined Spurs for £1m as an 18-year-old.

Among the replacements Spurs are lining up include Sevilla midfielder Diego Perotti, as revealed by Goal.com, and Brazilian Hulk, who has been in outstanding form for Porto this season.

Hulk, who is valued at £20-25m, plays on the right of Porto’s front three and has weighed in with 33 goals in 49 matches, including 22 in 25 in the league.

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Source: Goal.com

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Liverpool plan €10m move for Barcelona winger

Sources state that Kenny Dalglish is keen on the Dutch international who has struggled to secure a spot in the Catalan club's starting eleven since his move to the Nou Camp in January.

25-year-old wide man Afellay arrived at the La Liga champions for a nominal fee as his PSV Eindhoven contract was due to expire at the end of the season and has made just four league starts and has subsequently been linked with a summer exit.

Kenny Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli are drawing up a list of prospective targets as the club's owners prepare to fund significant moves in the transfer market. For some time now there has been talk of the need for more natural wide options as regular starters Maxi and Dirk Kuyt struggle to make a consistent impact.

Having signed Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll at the tail end of the last transfer window, Liverpool are now looking to bring in natural width to help provide ammunition for their strike force. Afellay has however impressed in recent cameo roles, most notably during the Champions League Semi-Final with Real Madrid.

Barcelona are however reportedly heavily in debt and they could opt to cash in on a player who cost them just €3m (£2.6m) and will listen to offers of €10m (£8.7m) for the talented winger who can also play as an attacking midfielder or in the hole behind the striker.

Dalglish is reportedly happy to meet any reasonable valuation in order to land Ibrahim Afellay who may be keen on the chance to move to the Premier League especially if such a move helps secure regular first team football.

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Sources: LiverpoolFC.tv, CaughtOffside

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Kenny Dalglish contract talk was long overdue

First and foremost, the report on The S*n was utterly bullshit, saying Kenny Dalglish demands full control of transfer in his contract talk. While ESPN Soccernet do a rip-off from The S*n article – which quotes, “I don’t know. I've never asked - maybe goal-line technology will be in first!”

Why today’s media never bother to check for facts before publishing an article? If you recalled an interview by LiverpoolFC.tv on Kenny Dalglish back in January, that piece of misleading articles will never get to published.

   “I will stick to what I said from the beginning: if Kenny is not happy with a player we think could make the team better then it's always down to the manager. That hasn't changed.” – quotes Damien Comolli.

Well, back then Comolli was the Director of Football Strategy for Liverpool Football Club. He got promoted to Director of Football in March and we are not sure what are his level of control over the transfer policy for the club? But it got to be make sense and logical to the public and the football club, any person on the board of director will have the power to decides or approved a transfer for any manager and vice-versa.

When Kenny Dalglish mentioned about working together with Damien Comolli on securing a transfer target in his interview. It strike sense that in the modern football, a manager role can get quite stressful and demand a lot of the manager’s time.

   “Forget transfers and talk about the position Damien has,”

“There is so much demand on a manager's time that it is important to have someone actively organising people, going to see other teams for reports on matches or individual players.

“Having conversations daily with people in the game and seeing what the movement of players are and then reporting back to the manager so the two of them can make a decision.

“I think it is a fantastic help and I don't have a problem with Damien.” – quotes Kenny Dalglish.

The speculation of Kenny Dalglish demanding a full control over the club’s transfer policy in his contract talk with FSG doesn’t make any sense at all. So what is held up on handing Kenny Dalglish the permanent role?

From my point of view, FSG has offered Dalglish a very short-term contract. Possible a two-years offer – in term, Dalglish was not appeased or maybe additional clauses are to be discussed for a longer contract negotiation. No one in this world who understand deeply and so passionately about Liverpool Football Club other than Kenny Dalglish himself.

Managing Liverpool Football Club is a long term project. If a manager has given a certain period of time to organized his team and with the support from the owners, it would be a waste of time and stubborn decision for not giving Kenny Dalglish the full-time job next season.

What’s your view on FSG handling of Kenny Dalglish’s contract talk? Leave your thought in the comment box below.

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Big Finn retires from football

Bayer Leverkusen defender Sami Hyypia has revealed that he will retire from playing football at the end of the season, bringing to an end a 19-year career.

Hyypia, 37, has been a regular for Leverkusen for the past two seasons since joining the club from Liverpool in 2009, where he spent ten successful years.

The Finland centre-back won the Champions League, UEFA Cup, League Cup and FA Cup (twice) in his time on Merseyside and in 2006 was recognised by the club's fans as the 38th best Reds player of all time.

Hyypia announced that he intends to hang up his boots at a press conference on Monday, though he will continue to work at Leverkusen as an assistant coach and will also become No. 2 to Finland boss Mixu Paatelainen.

Hyypia has been crowned Finnish Player of the Year nine times in his career, including the past three years in a row and only Jari Litmanen can boast more than the defender's 103 caps for the national team.

Source: ESPN Soccernet

Read more: Sami retires from football

Video: Sami last game for Liverpool FC

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Video Highlights: Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle

Liverpool are up to fifth after goals from Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez completed a 3-0 victory over Newcastle.

The Reds have leapfrogged Tottenham on goal difference to occupy a Europa League place - though Spurs have a game in hand.

Kenny Dalglish's side have now scored 11 and conceded none in their last three home games - and the momentum is theirs as the race for Europe draws to a conclusion.

Liverpool were buoyed by the return of full-back Glen Johnson after a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. Andy Carroll, however, was deemed fit enough only for a place on the bench against a club where he scored 33 goals in 91 games.

That meant Maxi retained his place on the back of a hat-trick against Birmingham City last week.

And it wasn't long before the Argentine reacquainted himself with Anfield's netting. There were just 10 minutes on the clock when a lovely sequence of Liverpool passing ended with Maxi half-volleying past Tim Krul via the leg of Danny Simpson.

A period of relative calm followed before Jay Spearing eyed a shooting opportunity from 25 yards. Krul could only parry his whack but recovered before either Kuyt or Raul Meireles could conclude their attempted ambush.

Shola Ameobi connected with a Joey Barton header as Newcastle threatened for the first time after half-an-hour, and there followed an uncomfortable interlude where the visitors cannonball dead balls into Liverpool's box. [Read more…]

  

Sources: Video courtesy of FootyTube.com and match report from LiverpoolFC.tv

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Rumour Mill: Gunners left-back on Liverpool radar

Liverpool are reportedly planning an ambitious move to sign Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy. Contract talks between the French international and the North London club have broken down and with one year left year on his Gunners deal Anfield director of football Damien Comolli is hoping to lure the 25-year-old to Merseyside.

The left-back area has been something of a problem this season with Paul Konchesky starting the season as first choice before being loaned out to Nottingham Forest after failing to impress. Emiliano Insua is also out on loan and injury to Fabio Aurelio has led to the emergence of teenager Jack Robinson as a player with a great deal of potential, however Kenny Dalglish is still looking for a player to fill the hole.

After eight years at Arsenal Clichy is reportedly considering his future and given that Arsene Wenger has ready made replacements in England international Kieran Gibbs and Armand Traore the French boss may be willing to allow the former Cannes man to leave.

Liverpool may find it hard to convince Clichy to move to a club who is unlikely to offer Champions League football for next term but having seen the sharp upturn in fortunes under Dalglish and the fact that the club is under new ownership, seemingly eager to bring in big names, a move to Anfield may tempt the Toulouse born full-back.

Liverpool will be looking to strengthen their squad following the big money signings of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January and a fee for Clichy would be significantly decreased by the fact that in one year he could leave for nothing.

Source: LFC_Stats

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Video Highlights: Liverpool 5-0 Birmingham

Maxi Rodriguez scored a hat-trick as Liverpool kept their European qualification hopes alive with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Birmingham City at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

The Argentinean put the Reds into a seventh-minute lead, capitalising on Ben Foster's fumble from Jay Spearing's drive to tap in.

Dirk Kuyt then continued his fine goal scoring run with Liverpool's second soon after, netting at the second attempt after his initial effort had been blocked.

Maxi furthered the home side's lead midway through the second period by steering Luis Suarez's cross into the goal at close quarters before wrapping up his treble with a composed finish.

Substitute Joe Cole completed the rout late on when his mazy run and shot deflected into the back of the net.

The result is the Reds' biggest home victory of 2010-11 so far and moves them to within three points of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, though the Londoners have a game in hand.

Liverpool went into the game aiming to end a seven-year itch against Birmingham having not mustered a league win over the second city side since May 2004. [Read more…]

 

Sources: Video courtesy of FootyTube.com and match report from LiverpoolFC.tv

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