Re: Summer Transfer Window 2013

by Art Morte Fri May 31, 2013 11:13 am

BeautifulGame wrote:
I honestly think he has done more damage to our club than contributions in the last 2nd years stay.

Well, there are two ways of looking at that.
1) We still finished "worst of the best" with him in the squad.
2) We really could use him when pushing for top-4.

Btw, I, too, feel dismay at his international break interviews. It's like being afraid that our players get injured on international duty but with Suarez it's about being scared of him giving unfavourable interviews.

by McAgger Fri May 31, 2013 11:32 am

Guys there has NOT been a 3rd interview. I cannot find anywhere. It seems like SkySports just came up with their regular bullshit. They are just using the quotes from yesterday.

by Fahim89 Fri May 31, 2013 11:40 am

Well his interviews are no more the only source . . LFC came out with official statement too. Just ensuring this to be a realistic he might leave this summer

by RedOranje Fri May 31, 2013 2:53 pm

Alright folks, there's a lot of different quotes and (mis)information floating around re:Suarez at the moment so let's all cool our jets and get a good grip on the situation before jumping to any absurd conclusions.

First off, Suarez has not said that he "wants to leave" or any direct variation thereof as SkySports and several other news sources have reported today. They are taking a very creative translation and interpretation of the interview he gave yesterday that Echo had already covered. I have read the full transcript in original Spanish as well as in an accurate English translation (available below in spoilers). He DOES state that a change would not be bad this summer, but only in response to a direct question on that exact turn of phrase. It is clear that he is open and even wants a move to Spain this summer, but it is also clear from his quotes that he would be happy to stay at Liverpool and would give his all next season.

Funnily enough, even Florentino Perez's quotes have not escaped this little bit of creative interpretation. He said, "Suarez is a great player and I am sure all in the world would want him. I like him and others too, but it does not always fit." The first part has received plenty of attention and fuels much of the discussion about Madrid's interest, however a key part is mostly ignored (and at times even edited out altogether). "But it does not always fit" deserves some consideration as it suggests that while Perez himself admires Suarez's ability he may not believe that Suarez fits into Madrid on/off the pitch, or may defer to whichever manager eventually arrives. Madrid's supposed move for Luis may never materialize simply because they have other targets.

Also clear is that his motivations are not ENTIRELY related to the media as he claims. We [Liverpool] have not been in or even close to the CL during his time with us and we are not in European competition at all next season. Further, clubs such as Madrid and Barcelona could and would offer him a significant wage increase should either be interested in securing his services. Both of these issues clearly play a significant role in his current stance. That said, the English media, and by extension a notable portion of the British public HAS been on a bit of a witch hunt at times. Yes, he's brought much of the negative attention upon himself but there is simply no justification for:

Spoiler:

The sensationalism and double standards are clear for all to see. However, as with any group English journalists and media have circled the wagons in response to Suarez's criticisms. It is as natural a reaction as it is frustrating. Even journalists who criticized their colleagues for the headlines and reports at the time of the event have suddenly changed their opinion and jumped on the "Suarez is using us as an excuse and was never misrepresented or defamed by any British media; we're the victims here!" bandwagon... and they have been very effective at pushing that agenda/message, so far.

It is plenty clear that Luis Suarez would welcome a move away from England this summer and that his motives are not as clear cut as he suggests. However, things are not as cut and dry as the media would make it seem, nor is Suarez victimizing them so much as they claim. He may well move this summer... he may also not. The outcome is not yet decided however, and the situation is still quite fluid. There are multiple agendas at play and Suarez's is only one of the factors in the eventual outcome.

I maintain that while Suarez does seem to prefer a move abroad, he would not be upset at another season with Liverpool. As things stand it seems unlikely that he will hand in a transfer request, though with his continuing consideration there's always the chance that this could change. This leaves the impetus on deciding his future to the clubs involved (Liverpool & Madrid or any other interested). For Liverpool he is an integral player: he is perhaps the most recognizable face off the pitch due to his (bad) publicity and is a massive, massive influence on it. The price of any player is decided by his importance to the club selling. It's up to Madrid to meet that price, be it the rumoured buy-out clause or simply Liverpool's "too good to refuse" bar. Should Suarez by allowed to leave, it will almost certainly be for more than the Torres valuation... i.e. more than £50m. Only time will tell whether this happens and until such a time as it is decided, or the player/his agent make a definitive statement on the subject, let's be a bit judicious in our conclusions and assumptions. My only hope is that if he should move that the deal be down rather early in the summer, so that Liverpool and Rodgers have plenty of time to use the money raised effectively and efficiently in strengthening the team... if this drags on too long all first choice targets could be unavailable.

An unedited English transcript of his interview yesterday:

Spoiler:

Make of that what you will.

P.S. It is never, EVER acceptable to burn a kit. The name on the back doesn't matter, the crest on the chest and eternal flame DO.

by sportsczy Fri May 31, 2013 3:00 pm

Atleti will pay 40-50 mil for him as long as Mendes becomes his agent... Mendes will lend Atleti any gap between their cash and the transfer, as he did with Falcao. Why? He can force the next transfer, make another fee and recoup his loan as well.

That's what i feel will happen IF Liverpool are willing to deal.

by RedOranje Fri May 31, 2013 3:04 pm

sportsczy wrote:Atleti will pay 40-50 mil for him as long as Mendes becomes his agent... Mendes will lend Atleti any gap between their cash and the transfer, as he did with Falcao. Why? He can force the next transfer, make another fee and recoup his loan as well.

That's what i feel will happen IF Liverpool are willing to deal.

Liverpool won't be willing to deal for anything less than £50m (that's pounds sterling, not euros). The reported clause only states that Liverpool must consider, but not accept, bids upwards of £40m and the club clearly value him as worth more than Torres was when he moved to Chelsea.

by sportsczy Fri May 31, 2013 3:08 pm

Yeah but that's EPL pricing and he wants to leave UK. Nobody in Europe other than Atleti with their special deal with Mendes will go there. I don't see Madrid offering more than €35 mil IF we even entered the fray.

So if what you say is true, he'll stay at Liverpool and you guys pray that he doesn't become Tevez.

by RedOranje Fri May 31, 2013 3:46 pm

"European valuation" or "English valuation" doesn't matter... the deal is dependent upon Liverpool's valuation. If the bidding club(s) fail to meet that, then no move happens.

by RedOranje Fri May 31, 2013 3:51 pm

Liverpool Echo ‏@LivEchoLFC 3m

#Suarez latest - Reds will fight to keep striker, no £40m buyout clause, any bid must top Torres £50m to be considered. Story to come

That's the short version, sports. Echo is as reliable as they come with regards to Liverpool business, bettered only by the official LFC site itself.

by McAgger Fri May 31, 2013 3:55 pm

@Sports

First what makes you think he'll agree in Mendes becoming his agent? All he needs to do is to look at Falcao's situation to understand that Mendes will probably get him involved in some sort of 3rd party ownership and command his next move after that.

And second, the thing you are saying about EPL pricing being different to rest of Europe could be applied the other way as well. Liverpool value him £50m, the rest of Europe can't or aren't willing to pay that. Well too bad, that means he won't be sold until someone meets LFC's valuation of him.

And tbh after reading that word for word what Luis said, I really don't think he'll leave. Him leaving is basically in our hands.

by RedOranje Fri May 31, 2013 4:19 pm

And the longer version:

James Pearce - Liverpool Echo wrote:Liverpool FC have warned Luis Suarez they have no intention of granting him a quick exit from Anfield this summer.

The Reds are refusing to admit defeat in their battle to keep the prolific striker, who has his sights set on forcing through a move to Real Madrid.

The ECHO understands that reports in Spain that Suarez has a £40million buy-out clause in his contract are incorrect.

Liverpool remain determined to keep the Uruguayan and even if Suarez submitted a transfer request it would take a bid well in excess of that figure for the Reds to consider selling their 30-goal top scorer.

Club officials have rubbished Suarez's claims in South America that he has already told Liverpool he wants to leave.

In a statement the Reds, who have had no approach from Real Madrid, made it clear they intend to hold on to the club's most valuable asset.

“Luis Suarez is not for sale,” it read.

“Neither Luis nor his representatives have communicated their feelings to Liverpool Football Club.

“The club remains supportive of Luis and expect him to honour his contract. We will not be making any further comment at this stage.”

Liverpool broke their silence after Suarez's latest interview in Uruguay where he is preparing for next Wednesday's friendly against France.

The 26-year-old, who is currently serving a 10-game domestic ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic, once again bemoaned his treatment at the hands of the English media and said he was disillusioned with life on Merseyside as his family were “suffering”.

Suarez denied that his desire to move to Spain was motivated by money but rather an ambition to play in La Liga.

“My coach (Brendan Rodgers) and my colleagues know what I went through,” Suarez said.

“I was mistreated, the media didn't treat me well. They know that perfectly, and I think it'll be understandable if one day I get to leave Liverpool.

“Because of the paparazzi I couldn't take my child to the park, I could not go to the supermarket.

“I have a daughter to look after, she's important and I think I should put her out of that environment.

“Every day there are pictures mocking me, nobody came forward to defend me. I do not want her to hear bad things about her father.

“I'd rather change because of that, it doesn't have anything to do with Liverpool. I'd love to play in another league too.

“My reason for leaving is not the money. If it was down to economics I would have already left for the countries that have been mentioned.

“I am prioritising my family, my image. I don’t feel comfortable any more. The club knows perfectly what I think.

“I have a contract with Liverpool but they know it's difficult because of the harassment I receive from the press there.”

Suarez's words contradicted those of his agent Pere Guardiola who had told Liverpool 24 hours earlier that the player remained happy at Anfield.

Boss Brendan Rodgers feared Suarez would turn his back on English football after he was hit with the 10-game ban for biting in April but retained hope that the club's support over the controversy would convince him to stay loyal.

Suarez's comments in South America this week have come as a surprise to both Rodgers and managing director Ian Ayre as he had not informed either of them of his desire to leave.

Reports in Spain suggest Real Madrid are preparing a £40million bid as they look to make Suarez their marquee summer signing.

However, they may need to offer in excess of the club record £50million Liverpool received from Chelsea for Fernando Torres in 2011 in order to get their man.

What is clear is that Liverpool won't give up on keeping Suarez without a fight as they know a player of his talent would be difficult to replace regardless of the fee they receive.

However, they are also desperate to ensure this doesn't drag on into a summer-long saga.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fc-fight-keep-luis-4036881

by Motogp69 Fri May 31, 2013 4:45 pm

Art Morte wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22731526

Valdes saying he's expecting to leave Barcelona in 2014 when his contract expires. That would surely mean that Barcelona are not interested in signing Reina this summer - unless they want something for Valdes and try to sell him now.

Yeah, I doubt Barcelona will be stupid enough to let him go for free when Monaco is out there using the City method of building a team.

Actually, after thinking about my original comments I wish to take them back, because if there is one club that isn't worried about receiving a fee on any player it's Barcelona. I'm sure they are happy just to have a year to find the right keeper.

So one more year with Reina, though at that point I think someone else will probably strike their fancy.

by Fahim89 Sat Jun 01, 2013 3:16 am

50m pounds would be great if fully injected in our transfer kit. . . hmm

by iftikhar Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:33 am

and hopefully we will not splash bulk of it on another Carrol.

by Red Alert Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:53 pm

Fahim89 wrote:50m pounds would be great if fully injected in our transfer kit. . .

We've signed Downing and Carroll for 55m.

Luis Suarez and co havn't got us CL.

I say we splash 50m to make Downing and Carroll the system. hmm

IT'S A JOKE RELAX

by Red Alert Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:59 pm

RedOranje wrote:I still believe we need another creative force in midfield (preferably attacking midfield) to either cover for Coutinho or provide another focal point if/when he's neutralized by physical and high pressure as we saw in several of the late-season matches.

Also, given Sturridge's form in his time with LFC surely he's done enough to earn his place as starting CF for us, at least until such a time as another outperforms him, right ynwa?

I agree. Eriksen is pretty much a MUST if Luis Suarez is to be sold. We can't exactly wait to see what Dortmund do so we should try and do business now nice and early just like how we've done so in the past week.

Sturridge has impressed me. But he really shouldn't be the guaranteed starting CF as of yet. Majority of players that join from January suffer from the "second season syndrome" so I'd like to see both how Coutinho and Sturridge do next season. I'm confident Luis will be staying too, so he should be the guaranteed CF as he's a lot better than Sturridge.

Furthermore, we're most likely going to go back to the pass and move system Rodgers wanted to play at the start of the season but didn't have the players to do it. We played a lot more counter-attacking football in the second half of the system and Sturridge pace exploited that with his great movement. So I'd like to see how he does in a contested game before placing him as a guaranteed starter as the focal point of the team.

by RedOranje Sat Jun 01, 2013 10:11 pm

I don't necessarily disagree that Sturridge shouldn't be "guaranteed" a starting spot but you cannot simply drop him to the bench after his performances. Until such a time as his form lags or another player begins outperforming him for a run of matches he's earned the right to continue to start, IMO. Suarez can and should start with him, not in place of him (assuming Suarez stays).

by Red Alert Sat Jun 01, 2013 10:17 pm

I didn't want to relegate him on the bench though. I wanted him on the right hand side of the front three to permanently get rid of Downing. (And Aaspas will be a squad-type player as cover for anywhere in the final third.)

Also, on another note, do you know anything about Grenier? He's apparently a playmaker type, so I'm thinking his the back-up replacement for Eriksen (if he goes to Dortmund) but I'm not too sure what Grenier is like as I don't watch Ligue 1 regularly.

by RedOranje Sat Jun 01, 2013 10:22 pm

Sturridge has shown his best form as a CF though, while Suarez has proven with us that he can play just as well off of a main forward (Sturridge) either directly behind or as an inside forward coming off a wide starting position... also Suarez's role prior to arriving at LFC was in such a role. As such I'd be more inclined to start Suarez in the wide/inside forward role and leave Sturridge to run off the central defenders. He'll still drift out wide at times and drop a bit deeper, allowing Suarez to run the channels and occupy the CF role. It really does seem a win-win for all involved. This is all moot if Suarez does end up leaving, of course.

I don't watch the French league so can't comment on Grenier. My understanding of the CAM situation is that we've cooled interest in Eriksen and ALL of our main CAM targets following Coutinho's performances in the role since joining.

by Red Alert Sat Jun 01, 2013 10:32 pm

Surely we can't rely on Coutinho next season. He's still young and we'll put way too much pressure on him if he's our focal point next season.

I'm fine with Sturridge as the striker for now, but I'd just like to see how he does next season first. He still does need to improve if he wants to make the position his.

by RedOranje Sat Jun 01, 2013 10:45 pm

He'll need to improve upon 10 goals 3 assists in 14 appearances? His all-around game can use some work but for a forward to produce stats like that you can accept a bit of selfishness in front of goal.

Yes, that's only over half a season.
Yes, there's the very strong chance that that production will drop next season, for several reasons (not the least of which is just how brilliant it currently is).

However, the spot shouldn't be taken from him until that happens. He's not in a position currently where he needs to prove himself deserving... he's in a position where he would have to prove himself UNDESERVING through poor form of objective or comparative quality.

by Nishankly Sat Jun 01, 2013 11:47 pm

Aspas probably became a cult hero saving them from relegation.
Lets see how things unfold here, So according to rumors we probably pay around 9 million euros i guess? if we sign him.

by RedOranje Sun Jun 02, 2013 12:03 am

Liverpool Echo's report claims we have already agreed a €9million (£7.7million) deal with Celta Vigo to sign him. That is above his relegation release clause of €7million (£5.9million) but lower than his non-relegation release clause of €10million (£8.3million). The report goes on to state that he will fly to Liverpool this week to undergo his medical and discuss personal terms.

ECHO Article Link

The Daily Mirror are reporting we've agreed personal terms with Aspas but have not agreed a fee. Depending on which article you read (yes, they have conflicting reports within their own paper) we're either offering him £45,000-a-week or have agreed to pay him a £200,000 signing-on fee and a gross wage of £39,000 per week.

Link 1: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfers-iago-aspas-deal-1905327
Link 2: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/iago-aspas-liverpool-transfer-celta-1921437

I'd recommend taking the Echo report as the most accurate, but that's just me.

by Fahim89 Sun Jun 02, 2013 5:52 am

Any rumors on Benteke? hmm

by iftikhar Sun Jun 02, 2013 7:52 am

I'm not sure what I'm about to write is in full compliance with this particular (transfer rumor) thread.

It's impossible to replace Suarez. He scores, he creates and he draws players away (creating space for others). Players who can do all these and to his level will not come to Liverpool. So, what is our REALISTIC option to replace Suarez!

Do you think Coutinho has been used as AM! I don't watch as much as you do, but it seems (to me) he starts as LW/F but drifts inside and Enrique overlaps to cover the space. If we continue with 433 and Coutinho starts as AM ahead of Lucas & Gerrard, then we have to buy someone for LW/F as well.

If Suarez leaves, that will leave us with Borini, Sturridge & Aspas for the three forward positions. Isn't both Borini & Aspas left-footed! IAC, these two will compete for one starting place. That means we need a player (RW/F!!!) for starting XI and another (?) to provide cover. What is your REALISTIC choice for these players!

by mr-r34 Sun Jun 02, 2013 8:03 am

Why are people talking like Aspas is a done deal, did i miss something?

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