Liverpool ready Papa bid

Brendan Rodgers is hoping to start his crucial summer of spending with a bang by snapping up a long-term replacement for Jamie Carragher.

Liverpool manager Rodgers has targeted highly-rated Greece international Kyriakos Papadopoulos, and will table a firm £13.5million offer for the centre-half.

At just 21, Papadopoulos has the right age profile for a big Anfield signing but already has vast experience, having become the youngest-ever player in the Greek league at the age of 15 and won 14 caps.

His performances with Olympiacos earned him a move to Schalke, and he helped the Germans reach the later stages of the Champions League before turning down a £16m move to Russia's Zenit St Petersburg.

Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City have all monitored his progress in the Bundesliga, but Liverpool have been in contact with the player's father and believe he would choose Anfield.

The Reds will first need a medical thumbs-up on a knee problem that kept him out for the second half of the season, but are expected to make a formal approach within the next week.

Rodgers also wants £7m-rated right-back Sam Byram from Championship side Leeds.

The Yorkshire club have resigned themselves to losing the talented 19-year-old - also a target for Everton - and have already lined up Manchester City starlet Reese Wabara as a replacement.

Source: Liverpool FC

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club or Red's Fury™ blog.

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Full-Time Highlights: Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham

Steven Gerrard's late penalty secured a dramatic 3-2 victory for Liverpool over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds captain struck home from the spot with eight minutes remaining of an end-to-end contest to seal the three points.

Luis Suarez had put the Reds ahead on 21 minutes with a slick instant finish from Jose Enrique's pass in the box.

Spurs equalised just before half-time when centre-back Jan Vertonghen headed Gareth Bale's centre home from yards out.

The visitors' No.5 then put them in front shortly after the break when he lashed home a loose ball in the box from a free-kick the Reds couldn't clear to safety.

But Liverpool levelled on 66 minutes when Hugo Lloris made a mess of trying to deal with a wayward back pass, allowing Stewart Downing to go through on goal and drill into the net with the 'keeper out of position.

Then it was left to Gerrard to have the final say after Beniot Assou-Ekotto had brought down Suarez in the box - and the No.8 made no mistake with a low finish to clinch victory and move the Reds up to sixth in the Barclays Premier League.

The pre-match team news confirmed Pepe Reina would miss the contest due to injury, with Brad Jones deputising in the absence of the Spaniard. Daniel Sturridge, however, returned to an attack-minded starting XI after a knock.

Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher notched up his 500th league appearance for the club - only the second man to do so in Anfield history following Ian Callaghan.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

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Full-Time Highlights: Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool

Stunning long-range goals from Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard helped Liverpool to a 2-2 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The Reds made a positive start to the contest, but were underdone midway through the opening period when Edin Dzeko ghosted into the box to convert James Milner's low centre from close range.

But Liverpool levelled up before the half-hour mark when Daniel Sturridge fired into the bottom corner from distance.

The visitors began to dominate and they got the goal their display merited when Steven Gerrard netted with a volley from distance after pouncing on Gael Clichy's clearance.

However, City secured a point when Sergio Aguero beat Pepe Reina to a long ball into the box and netted from a tight angle to ensure the points were shared.

Following the spirited midweek draw at Arsenal, Brendan Rodgers elected to make just one change to his line up with the fit-again Jose Enrique replacing Andre Wisdom in defence.

The Reds had impressed right from the off at the Emirates, but within 60 seconds of the game getting underway at the Etihad, Pepe Reina was required to tip a stinging David Silva drive over the bar.

Liverpool stood up firmly to the host's early pressure and, on 14 minutes, carved out a brilliant opening when a free-flowing move resulted in Sturridge touching a lofted pass into the box beyond Joe Hart, but Pablo Zabaleta was on hand to prevent the striker from turning the ball into the unguarded net.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

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Full-Time Highlights: Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland

Luis Suarez fired his second brace in four days as Liverpool beat Sunderland 3-0 at Anfield.

On a day when the club signed another striker in Daniel Sturridge, top scorer Luis Suarez took his tally for the season to 18 - one more than his total for 2011-12.

He also assisted the opener for Raheem Sterling as the Reds made it three wins from four festive fixtures and climbed to eighth in the table.

Ineligible to play after signing a contract earlier in the day, Sturridge will have liked what he saw from the directors' box. Just as they did at QPR three days ago, the Reds established a firm lead inside the opening 45 minutes - and again Suarez was central.

The first might have come through Stewart Downing on 12 minutes when both Suarez and Steven Gerrard stood aside to allow him a dead ball effort. The England man didn't disappoint but was denied by a scampering save from Simon Mignolet.

Instead it was Sterling who secured the opener on 18 minutes, the second goal of his first full season in the Liverpool team. His lob over the visiting goalkeeper followed fine work from Suarez, who in one movement twisted his body and launched a ball over the top of the Sunderland defence.

Martin O'Neill's side had several chances to breach the Kop net in the first period, but James McLean was twice wasteful with just Pepe Reina to beat. The Liverpool goalkeeper had to work harder to prevent Matt Kilgallon scoring with a half-volley from close range but he was up to the task with a superb reflex save.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

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Sturridge joins Liverpool FC

Liverpool Football Club is delighted to confirm the signing of striker Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea.

The 23-year-old becomes our first signing of the January transfer window after penning a long-term contract at Melwood today.

Afterwards he told Liverpoolfc.com of his joy at sealing the deal.

"I am humbled and happy to be here," said Sturridge.

"Brendan Rodgers said he sees me here for a long time - and I also see myself here for a long time. I've not signed here to play for a couple of years and then move on.

"I've signed to be here for as long as possible. It's a humongous club - for me, one of the biggest in the world - and to have the fans and world-class players we have here is amazing."

Sturridge began his professional career at Manchester City, where he finished top-scorer as City lifted the FA Youth Cup in 2008.

Source: Official Liverpool FC

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Liverpool move for £12M striker

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge is due to have a medical at Liverpool today ahead of a £12million transfer.

Liverpool have agreed a deal with Chelsea for the 23-year-old England international and a £60,000 per week contract with the player.

Liverpool are desperate to bolster their forward line, with Luis Suarez their only fit out-and-out striker and boss Brendan Rodgers has been keeping tabs on Sturridge since the summer.

Liverpool cannot officially register any new signing until 2 January when the transfer window opens.

The former Manchester City striker has made seven league appearances for Chelsea this season, scoring one goal.

His last league appearance for the Blues was in the 2-1 defeat by West Bromwich Albion on 17 November.

Sturridge has not featured since Rafael Benitez arrived at Stamford Bridge, due to a hamstring injury.

Source: Sky Sports

Stay tuned for more updates.

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club or Red's Fury™ blog.

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Post-Match Interviews: Liverpool vs Fulham

Watch Brendan Rodgers and Martin Jol post-match press conference.

   “I thought Stewart was brilliant today, in every aspect of the game,”

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Full-Time Highlights: Liverpool 4-0 Fulham

Liverpool signed off from 2012 at Anfield with a 4-0 Barclays Premier League victory over Fulham on Saturday night.

Martin Skrtel's emphatic finish gave the Reds an early lead as he volleyed powerfully beyond Mark Schwarzer after controlling a corner in the box before Steven Gerrard doubled the lead before half-time with a neat finish.

Stewart Downing extended Liverpool's advantage by cutting into the box and firing into the Kop end net in the early stages of the second half.

Luis Suarez wrapped it up in stoppage time to send Brendan Rodgers' side into eighth in the table, just five points off third-place Arsenal.

The Reds went into the day's late kick-off aiming to bounce back to winning ways following last weekend's 3-1 Anfield reversal at the hands of Aston Villa.

Rodgers made a handful of changes in order to hand some of his stars a breather ahead of the hectic Festive period, meaning starts for the likes of Suso and Downing while Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen began on the bench.

Liverpool began the brighter of the teams and after Daniel Agger had headed over and Jonjo Shelvey's flick had caused panic in the box, Skrtel thumped them into an eighth-minute lead as he controlled Gerrard's corner inside a crowded box and lashed a volley into the back of the net.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

Alternative video source: FootyTube

 

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