Liverpool in pole position to land £20M midfielder

Liverpool are ready to splash £20million on main summer transfer target,Shakhtar Donetsk's goal-scoring midfielder, Henrikh Mkhitaryan... regardless of whether Luis Suarez gets his transfer or not.

The Anfield club are close to tying up a big money deal for Armenia international Mkhitaryan, despite his Ukrainian club Shaktar Donetsk's high asking price.

Manager Brendan Rodgers will complete the deal for the attacking midfielder he has targeted for months with the blessing of his American owners, regardless of the uncertainty over the Suarez's future.

Mkhitaryan is not seen as a direct replacement for Uruguay striker Suarez, and was identified as the main summer signing long before Real Madrid came calling with an offer that has turned Suarez’s head.

Rodgers wants a midfielder who can knit together his side’s creative play while also providing a goal threat from behind the front line.

The Armenian fits the bill after attracting the attention of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona, Juventus and Atletico Madrid with his 25 goals from midfield this season.

The 24-year-old, who has just set a Ukrainian Premier League record for most goals in a season, signed with Italian super-agent Mino Raiola in May to facilitate his move to a top European club.

Rodgers has stolen a march on his rivals for the player’s signature after sending his scouting team out to watch the midfielder a dozen times in the 2012-13 season.

That is why he is prepared to commit a sizeable part of his summer budget to the capture.

The deal will not depend on securing funds from the sale of Suarez, even though the striker looks certain to leave for around £40m after forcing Liverpool’s hand by admitting he's in the mood for a fresh start away from English football.

The Reds' boss has been guaranteed at least £35m to spend in this summer's transfer window, even before the sale of Suarez.

Striker Andy Carroll is set to confirm his £15m departure to West Ham later this week, and £10m-rated defender Martin Skrtel a contender to follow amid links with ex-Kop boss Rafa Benitez's Napoli.

If Real Madrid follow up their interest in Suarez with a firm offer, then he will insist on exercising a get-out clause in his contract to force the issue.

Rodgers will then look to buy another striker - especially with Daniel Sturridge ruled out for the start of the season after suffering an ankle injury on international duty with England.

Rodgers has already agreed in principle a £7million deal for Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas, but he will also search for a bigger name to cover the departure of Suarez.

Christian Benteke, whose 19 league goals in his first season with Aston Villa included two against Liverpool at Anfield in December, is on his list of targets.

Source: Mirror

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Liverpool defender set for exit

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all? According to Mirror, Liverpool defender, Martin Skrtel admits he may consider quitting Liverpool after what he calls the worst season of his Anfield career.

Centre-back Skrtel says it “bugged him” when he was dropped to the bench by boss Brendan Rodgers in favour of Jamie Carragher for the second half of the season.

The Slovakia international feels unsettled, despite signing a new contract last August, and, with Rodgers shopping for new defenders, says he would listen to any offers from other clubs this summer.

In an interview given in his homeland, the 28-year-old said: “I have not had any specific offers. But if some should come and they interest me, I would probably consider it seriously.

“The club has the biggest say in this in any case, with me being contracted.

“I’m not saying that I want to leave at any cost.

“I feel sorry for what happened in this season. But I have been here for five-and-a-half years and I have built a position here.”

Skrtel says it hurt when Rodgers dropped him after the shock FA Cup defeat at Oldham because the Irishman said he needed more leadership at the back.

“After the game, the coach decided he wanted to change the team and justified to me that we lacked the organisation and defensive leadership personality,” he said.

“That was Carragher. Obviously I was not happy, it bugged me.

“On the other hand, I realise that only 11 can play and the 11 the coach chooses now is without me.

“I decided to add even more in training, so I was ready for a chance to show that I belong on the field, and not on the bench.”

Source: Mirror

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Ex-boss set for Napoli job

Rafa Benitez is expected to finalise a two-year deal with Napoli this weekend as the Chelsea interim manager fulfils his final duties at the Premier League club.

Benitez still has to meet Paris St-Germain officials this week before deciding which club he will manage next season.

But Champions League qualifiers Napoli, who prematurely announced a deal with the Chelsea interim manager last week, are favourites to get him because of the determination of president Aurelio de Laurentiis.

Funds raised by the £60million sale of striker Edinson Cavani, who is likely to join Real Madrid, will be reinvested in a Napoli side that finished second in Serie A last season.

They will look to win their first Scudetto since the Diego Maradona era in 1987 and 1990. Last season’s manager, Walter Mazzarri, resigned this month to move to Inter.

Paris St-Germain are trying to stop Carlo Ancelotti leaving for Real Madrid, so a quick decision from them on Benitez is unlikely.

Source: Mail Online

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Real Madrid ready to pounce on Liverpool’s star

Reports heat up at the Santiago Bernabéu these few days - Real Madrid have added Liverpool striker Luis Suarez to their extensive list of potential recruits.

A host of Europe's top clubs including Real's city rivals Atletico have been linked with the 26-year-old, who has three years remaining on a contract signed last August.

Bayern Munich, who could be crowed European champions at Wembley on Saturday, are also ready to make a summer bid.

So far Suarez appears to be content with life at Anfield, and Liverpool defender Jose Enrique wants to know the striker will stay.

'Of course we want to keep him. He is our key player,' Enrique said.

'We've not had a great season in terms of our league position but Luis is there as our top scorer.

'For me he can play in any team in the world. If I was a manager I would have him anywhere. Not only for his goals but for how his character is.

'He is the type of player like if you play with Messi: he does impossible things. He does something out of nothing.

'I think if we keep him we will have a good season next season, for sure.

'We don't want to lose Luis because he is a top player but you never know. But if he goes, someone else has to come.

'Hopefully if that happens it will be a good player.;

Luis Suarez will be suspended for Liverpool's first six matches of next season as he serves the remainder of his 10-game ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last month.

Source: Mail Online

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Don’t write off Dortmund yet by Jamie Carragher #thankscarra

Which position would you rather be in heading into the Champions League final?

Would you side with Bayern Munich? They won the German league by a  distance, conquered all before them this season and go into this defining match as odds-on favourites. There aren’t too many people who can  envisage them being beaten.

Or would you choose Borussia Dortmund? Jurgen Klopp’s side have not managed to win a domestic trophy... and finished 25 points behind Bayern in the Bundesliga. It all points to the Wembley showdown being one-sided, doesn’t it? Well, not in my view.

This could be one of the closest finals we have seen in recent years and Dortmund are not the 7-2 shots that bookmakers suggest. If anything, Bayern will be the more apprehensive of the two sides. They, after all, have everything to lose. Dortmund have it all to gain.

Dortmund are in a similar position to the one we experienced with Liverpool on this day exactly eight years ago.

Nobody gave us a chance of beating AC Milan in Istanbul, so that meant we could enjoy the occasion. Winning the biggest trophy in club football went beyond our wildest dreams.

Bayern, in contrast, will in some ways be dreading this match as the pressure on them is immense.
Dortmund have had the edge in recent years — they are undefeated in the past six Bundesliga games and secured last year’s German Cup with a 5-2 win. Bayern, meanwhile, have lost two of the past three Champions League finals.

Having that sequence extended to three out of four would be a major embarrassment.

Bayern Munich are THE club in Germany and to lose the prize they crave most to a team from their own country would be a savage blow to their esteem.

I have been greatly impressed by Dortmund this year. For a retirement present, I was treated by a few Liverpool players to a trip to the Bernabeu earlier this month to watch the second leg of their semi-final against Real Madrid, and the vantage point we had was perfect to see everything at which Dortmund excel.

They have incredible pace, intensity and quality — I read a superb magazine article on Klopp earlier this year and the thing I took from it was how much he wants his players to run — and they swarmed all over Madrid, to the extent that Jose Mourinho had to substitute Xabi Alonso to deal with it.

In Marco Reus, they have a player who — in my opinion — has only been outperformed in the Champions League this year by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It has been said Mario Gotze’s thigh injury will damage Dortmund’s chances, but losing Reus would have been a significantly worse headache for Klopp.

Gotze was spotted looking at property in Munich, ahead of his move there next season, and the reaction to him has not been good from Dortmund supporters. Would his head have been in the right place for this game? His absence may now work in his side’s favour.

As big a fan as I am of Dortmund, however, Bayern’s claims are there for all to see. Myself and Dietmar Hamann, who used to play for them, began calling Bayern ‘The Grinders’ a few years ago because they always get the job done.

They have incredible mental strength and to come back from the disappointment they endured 12 months ago — losing to Chelsea in front of their own fans — is a notable achievement. Some teams may never have got over such a defeat.

Given that Pep Guardiola is  taking over as manager next season and the way they have spent — they have paid out more than £100million in the past two summers, compared to Dortmund, who have spent in the region of £30m — you can see why it is being said they are on the verge of dominating  European football.

Let’s not think, however, that Germany is significantly ahead of all the other leagues.

Yes, it is very good, but it reminds me of the way the Premier League was five years ago — big, strong sides that can press with great intensity but have the skill to match. However, had it not been for a linesman’s mistake in the quarter-finals, Spain would have had three teams in the last four of the Champions League. I believe the two best teams in the competition will contest the final but Dortmund came perilously close to losing to Malaga in the last eight.

Bayern, on the other hand, have made relentless progress through the competition and the way they demolished Barcelona in the semi-finals was exceptional.

I don’t think they touched the ball in the first 15 minutes of the first leg but kept their composure and  then ran Barcelona into the ground. There should not, though, be such a discrepancy in the way the  respective chances of each side are viewed.

Bayern have strength in depth and are slight favourites but Dortmund have had their measure in recent times  — and you wouldn’t bet against them doing it one more time.

Source: Mail Online

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Red's Fury™ LFC News mobile app are now available for download

Thank you for all your supports down the years. This blog hasn’t been ever so active without you. We will continue to serve you better with an Android mobile app, hosted by Conduit and you can try it by downloading the app into your Android smartphone today.

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Liverpool ready to offload England centre-forward to Hammers

West Ham have agreed a fee with Liverpool for Andy Carroll but the England striker has yet to decide if he wants to join the Hammers permanently.

The London side will match Liverpool's asking price of around £15m, but the 24-year-old is unsure about the move ahead of a World Cup year.

It is understood interest from former club Newcastle United has cooled.

West Ham are expected to bid for Vitesse Arnhem's Wilfried Bony if Carroll rejects their approach.

The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international finished as 31-goal top scorer in the Dutch league this season, but West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has made no secret about Carroll being his main summer target,

Meanwhile, Carroll has withdrawn from the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil because of a heel injury.

Carroll was signed by Kenny Dalglish and moved to Liverpool on transfer deadline day in January 2011, for what remains a record fee for a British player of £35m.

He had impressed by scoring 31 times for his boyhood club Newcastle United in 81 appearances, but his time at Anfield was short lived.

Coupled with the arrival of Brendan Rodgers and a new style of play, Carroll's return of just six goals in 44 outings for Liverpool saw him loaned to West Ham in late August 2012.

Despite a knee injury ruling him out for December, Carroll scored seven times for Allardyce's side during the season, form which encouraged the West Ham boss to pursue a permanent deal.

"If we can start with Andy Carroll, that would be a great achievement for us as he can only get better and better," he said after West Ham's weekend win over Reading.

"Then we build around that in terms of how we want to improve next year, with better quality.

"Andy is a player who is wanting to enjoy his football. He lives for his football and wants to play every game. He wants to use his strengths and score as many as he can - but he also works very hard for the team."

Whether the deal goes through appears to rest with Carroll, who has said he has "enjoyed every minute" of his loan spell in London.

"I have had a great season here at West Ham, really enjoyed being part of a great set of lads in the team, with the staff around us and the fans," Carroll told the club's official website.

"Everyone has been so welcoming to me and I have been over the moon to be here. This is a great club."

Source: BBC UK

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Rumour Mill: Reds set sight on £8.5M striker

Liverpool are planning a move for Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas, according to the Mirror. The Spanish club are perilously close to relegation from the top flight and need two wins from the final two games of the season, in addition to having other results go their way, to escape the drop.

Aspas' release clause is believed to stand at €10m but that will drop by almost a third if relegation is confirmed. Reds' boss Brendan Rodgers believes a cut-price fee for the 25-year-old could be a steal and he may have a point. Aspas has 11 goals and six assists from 32 league starts, which means he has had a hand, directly, in half of his side's goals this campaign.

A salary of £45,000 per week has reportedly been agreed but Rodgers' former club, Swansea City, have also shown interest and could look to make a second bargain signing from La Liga in as many years, after signing Rayo Vallecano forward Michu last summer.

Meanwhile, Rodgers has already confirmed the Anfield club will add, despite a meager summer budget, at least two attacking players to the first team. The Northern Irishman has Uruguayan Luis Suarez, England international Daniel Sturridge and young Brazilian Philippe Coutinho as his first choice attacking line but wants cover and reinforcements.

Liverpool fans are used to having a player in Luis Suarez that so ferociously divides opinion. They’ve taken to the Uruguayan as one of their own, irrelevant of the opinions Suarez’s detractors hold.

It will make fascinating viewing then, if another contentious character in Iago Aspas turns out for them.

Aspas too, is of that 'love to have him on your team, hate to play against him' mould. He also happens to be a very, very good footballer.

The 25-year-old plays each game like it’s his last, getting in the faces of opponents and going to the ends of the earth for his team. He’s energy, enthusiasm, and endeavour. But he’s also skill and sublime.

He was born in Moana, a town of just 20,000 in Galician. At school he was a terror too, constantly distracted in lessons with only focus on football.

Asked what his favourite moment as a Celta fan was he didn’t mention a goal, or assist, he recalled when Wagner infamously booted Diego Tristan in the air during a Galician derby.

It was in 2010/2011 that he first rose to prominence, scoring 23 goals in 35 games as Celta pushed towards a return to Spain’s top flight.

He played as a lone striker in the Segunda that season, working in tandem with the various support acts he was handed. His coach at the time was a certain ex-Liverpool man in Paco Herrera, part of that glorious Champions League victory steered by Rafa Benitez.

Herrera had to handle Aspas with care, for he was always on the brink of breaking.

That season he played for every single fan that entered the stadium; would chase lost causes, formed the first part of defence from his attacking role, put in tackles and of course, scored goals.

He’s a passionate character too, constantly muttering to himself when moving around the field and when against an opponent engaging in some exchanged words. It motivated him, psyched himself up. It rarely did not produce an end product.

Aspas' transition from Segunda to Primera was seemingly effortless for the player. He managed three goals in his opening seven games, and as it stands has 11 in 32 matches.

There's a common misconception that Aspas is just a tenacious striker, but there's much more to him than that. He’s a creator too, marking down six assists and generally being the centre of everything good his team produces.

Aspas can drop off into midfield and start attacks, move into the channels and take players on with pace – particularly on the right hand side, where he likes to drift in from with a drop of the shoulder. He can also play on the shoulder like a number 9, offering a team verticality in their play.

His movement is one of the most impressive aspects of his game, harnessing a sweet change of direction and burst of pace. Although he doesn’t have great strength or power, he puts his body between the ball and an opponent intelligently while using skill or that pace to jet away.

His stature and skill set makes him a slippery character, difficult to contain. Out-and-out striker, inverted winger, second striker – Aspas would do any of these roles justice. He is though most at home in that second striker berth.

Aspas is seen as a Jekyll and Hyde character, so much so his ex-coach Herrera referred to him as part Messi and part monster. The latter part came to fruition in two incidents this season; one when he had to be substituted by Herrera to avoid being sent off then another when he head-butted an opponent and was banned for four games. All the while, Celta fans still sung the name of their hero who they felt represented them.

The truth is Aspas had many faces and many talents, and if he can channel that passion he has in the right direction he’ll accomplish great things.

Source: Mirror

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