Summer of 2014: Part 2

I'm not that interested in a DM, but a defensively responsible playmaker, or two engines playing as a double pivot is fine for me. Henderson - Can/Allen would be really nice for an attack minded team moving forward I think.

Anyway, saw this:

AC Milan offer El Shaarawy to Real Madrid, according to El Confidencial. €20m would be the starting price for him.

I hope that Rodgers at least tries to get in on this if they are willing to sell. We've been linked with him before, and he'd be amazing if healthy.

Peccadillo wrote:you are inevitably going to get linked with Balo.

Thoughts if you can get him for <£20mil?

We have our starting striker, we don't need another as we'll likely spend the vast majority of the season in a 4-3-3.

Art Morte wrote:Mundo Deportivo saying that the Suarez fee will be only £58m:

BBC Sportsday wrote:Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona have negotiated a fee of of between 70 and 73m euros (£55.6m-58m) for the transfer of Uruguay striker Luis Suarez from Liverpool.

The fee represents a reduction of 20m euros on the 27-year-old's buyout clause according to the paper.

I've no idea about their reliability.

Barcelona are paying the release clause for Suarez which is between 70 and 75m POUNDS.

Apparently Origi was pictured arriving at Melwood.

@JamesPearceEcho: Divock Origi was at Melwood today to meet the manager and discuss personal terms. He's considering his options. No medical scheduled. #LFC

Markovic set for medical ahead of £20m deal as Origi makes Melwood visit

Jul 09, 2014 19:34 By James Pearce

Highly-rated Serbian winger will become the Reds’ fourth summer signing

Lazar Markovic is set to undergo a medical on Thursday ahead of completing his £20million move from Benfica to Liverpool FC.

The highly-rated Serbian winger will become the Reds’ fourth summer signing following deals for Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Emre Can.

Liverpool also remain on course to wrap up the transfer of Lille striker Divock Origi.

The Belgium international visited Melwood with his family on Wednesday for a tour of the club’s training base and he met boss Brendan Rodgers for the first time.

An initial fee of £6million, which could rise to £9.8million with add-ons, has already been agreed with Lille.

Origi would be loaned back to the French outfit for the coming season before linking up with the Reds squad next summer.

The 19-year-old is weighing up his options after attracting plenty of interest following his eye-catching performances at the World Cup finals in Brazil.

“It is true that there are offers from all over Europe,” he told press in his homeland.

“Now I have to look carefully where I will grow as a player and as a person. Things will be clearer within two weeks at the most.”

Tottenham are among those rival clubs trying to land Origi but after face to face talks with the frontman Liverpool remain confident they will win the battle for his services.

Luis Suarez’s move to Barcelona for around £75million could go through before the end of this week.

AC Milan’s Mario Balotelli has been touted as a possible replacement for Suarez but the ECHO understands that the Reds have no interest in the £30million-rated Italian striker.

Liverpool believe they have pulled off a major coup with the signing of Markovic and Avram Grant agrees.

The former Chelsea boss managed the youngster during his spell in charge of Partizan Belgrade.

“I can say that apart from Ronaldo and Messi, Markovic is one of the best talents I’ve ever seen at 19 years of age,” Grant said.

Markovic’s former Benfica team-mate Nemanja Matic, who made the switch to Chelsea back in January, added: “What can I say about Markovic? It was excellent playing with this kid for six months.

“He has such massive potential that if he changed his attitude in training he could be one of Europe’s best players in his position.

“But he’s young, he’ll mature, and then nobody will be able to stop him.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fc-lazar-markovic-set-7399207

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Clears some things on Lazar, Origi, and Balo

Red Alert wrote:

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:

Red Alert wrote:You're clutching at straws, stevie.

We needed a "top name" / marquee signing KEEPING Suarez at the club. Barcelona activated the release clause, so we can't do much about that. We could however put the release clause a lot higher up but that's for another thread.

hahaha....great....yeah because the window is over and we are midway through the season, isnt it!!!

@Stivie, people simply forget about Suarez's status before he joined us. Was he considered as top 3 player in the world back then? Now dont come with excuses that we saw his potential to be top 3 in Erdvisie, if you say so, that is bs. We also know how Suarez started his career at Liverpool.
So till now I know that all of the players we have signed in are young except Lallana who is experienced and that too in EPL. I am expecting him to perform better with better players around him and also because I believe BR will get best out of him. So we should wait for a while...

These are not the reasons that we should not sign that marquee player. There is no doubt that we need that top level quality and there are two months to go, so I am ready to wait and see how it unfolds.  

So I am going for Haames choose your player

3. We're not rebuilding anymore. We need to stop buying for the future. We're going to turn into Arsenal if we continue with this approach. We've bought for the future since FSG have come here, apart from Henderson, which signing under FSG has become a consistent first team choice player? Coutinho would be the only one, and he only got his chance due to the lack of quality in our starting XI.

Seriously, man? Sturridge doesn't count? I also don't get you when you bring up "except for" points. How can you expect us to take an argument seriously when you mysteriously exclude the players that prove you wrong, withou explanation? We can point to five players (Henderson, Sturridge, Coutinho, Sakho, Suarez) that have consistently been in and around the starting lineup, arguably six if we extend to Allen who has been a regular feature. All of those were brought in under FSG. Of course, if you say "except for those six" we're at 0, but I have no response to that.

Not to mention, you acknowledge that transfers have been run by a number of different people over recent years. If we've consistently taken the "wrong" approach, who is it that's inspiring that? There's been overturn in almost every single position related with transfers at the club - is it some mysterious "Liverpool curse" that's placed on all transfer-related employees?

You mention that Sakho only happened when Papa fell through; well, this year, things will only happen when Sanchez fell through. That's how negotiations work. You identify a hierarchy of targets; if you can't get number 1, you move to number 2. People seem to think there's infinite resources (and I don't mean transfer budget - I mean actual time, available labor hours and administrative bandwith) to open up 5 or 6 negotiations at a time, when that's not the case. You don't jump into the deep end on your number 2 until number 1 is truly not possible. And if you think there aren't lines of communication open with secondary options right now, you're clearly not paying attention to the large number of quotes from reliable journalists saying there will be other players coming in this summer. The lines of communication and inquiries just haven't reached a serious enough stage yet to produce rumors - because we're just now moving off of our first target.

I'm really not clutching at straws - the fact is that all of the names we've signed/will be about to sign are quality players. Do I think every single one of them will work out incredibly? No. That's not how the world works. But I do think I'm happy to see the players we're bringing in, and I think a lot of the negativity surrounding the transfer window so far has to do with the lack of a marquee name rather than an accurate assessment of the players we've signed. I think people look at Lallana as our number 1 and get disappointed - not because he's not a good player, but because he's not a headliner.

Which, as I've already said, is fair - you expect certain quality from a summer, and if it's not met, it doesn't matter how many solid players we've brought in. But with two months left, I don't think it's reasonable to judge our activity as a whole yet. Judge it by its individual parts, and judge the whole once we know what the whole looks like.

Sturridge, Sakho, Suarez etc all came at a mature age... I'm strictly talking about players signed "for the future", you know, teenagers from around 20-21 age mark...

We've spent almost 100m if we include Markovic signing "players for the future" since FSG have been in charge. And that doesn't even include Andy Carroll in there.

Not too sure how you defend our negotiating when we're offering 20m for Lovren (), opened the Lallana bid for around 15 yet spent 25 on him, and yet we couldn't spend a couple of extra mil in the winter market which lead to the Kono/Salah deals falling apart. lol

Again, which "quality" player have we signed?

http://anfieldindex.com/9215/liverpools-owners-hold-cards-suarez.html

THERE IS HOPE AFTER ALL

The interest in Bony and Davies is not bad. Davies is a very promising leftback who is already accustomed to the PL (would take him over Bertrand in a heartbeat), and Bony scored 25 goals in his rookie campaign with Swansea. Could do a lot worse.

Bony doesn't fit our style much. Don't want him but Davies, like I said in the GS, I don't mind at all if it means we're not getting Bertrand.

I'm not too worried about our style in regards to Bony, but I don't see why we should buy him as I don't think he'd fit in the XI with Sturridge and we've already bought Lambert. Nor am I convinced Bony's quality is good enough. Should we actually sign him, it would add to my feeling we're buying quantity over quality rather than get me excited.

Who is out there, available and would want to come here that is better than what we have though? A guy like Sanchez would have been great but he didn't want to come here. Guys like James, Higuain, Reus, etc. are not available or don't want to come here. The thing is that Liverpool has elite talent here already, we need to build around it and find others that can become elite as well.

I think if you're looking for a huge marquee signing to be excited about that will replace Suarez you're most likely going to be disappointed.

Red Alert wrote:Sturridge, Sakho, Suarez etc all came at a mature age... I'm strictly talking about players signed "for the future", you know, teenagers from around 20-21 age mark...

We've spent almost 100m if we include Markovic signing "players for the future" since FSG have been in charge. And that doesn't even include Andy Carroll in there.

Not too sure how you defend our negotiating when we're offering 20m for Lovren (), opened the Lallana bid for around 15 yet spent 25 on him, and yet we couldn't spend a couple of extra mil in the winter market which lead to the Kono/Salah deals falling apart. lol

Again, which "quality" player have we signed?

You referenced Carroll and Downing (was he also one "for the future?) in your original post, and Carroll again here, yet he was the same age as Sturridge when he joined. Sakho as well is young. In fact, the entire list I put out there aside from Suarez was young when purchased; not sure how you're differentiating "for the future" from "established" considering Hendo and Coutinho were also expected to slot straight into the starting 11.

All reports I've seen have said that we in fact haven't bid 20 mil for Lovren (somewhat below that, in fact), and now Kono is being linked with West Ham. Have you considered that maybe, just maybe, the youtube video you wanked to didn't give you enough info to know better than our scouts?

*bleep* ridiculous. We'll win a treble next year and you'll still be talking about how we should've done better in the transfer market. Tell me more about how right you are, so long as we exclude any information that proves you wrong.

We haven't even played a game yet, let alone completed the transfer window, and already the season has supposedly gone to shit. I'd like to quickly remind everyone that Arsenal signing Ozil was supposed to lead to a title, and there was no chance we'd pass them. So signing yet another player for their strongest position while ignoring their glaring holes is going to change things from last year? Ok. Tottenham has shown me nothing to expect a difference from last year, and while anyone is a step up from Moyes, I don't care how much money you spend on Luke Shaw, I don't think he's going to transform that side.

The only team that has gotten significantly better in my eyes so far is Chelsea, who have covered their biggest problem from last year, but I refuse to reach any conclusions before I see a single minute of gametime (competitive or preseason) played. Can everyone just calm down.

Ok now opinions on Wilfried Bony!!!

  

You referenced Carroll and Downing (was he also one "for the future?) in your original post, and Carroll again here, yet he was the same age as Sturridge when he joined. Sakho as well is young. In fact, the entire list I put out there aside from Suarez was young when purchased; not sure how you're differentiating "for the future" from "established" considering Hendo and Coutinho were also expected to slot straight into the starting 11.

All reports I've seen have said that we in fact haven't bid 20 mil for Lovren (somewhat below that, in fact), and now Kono is being linked with West Ham. Have you considered that maybe, just maybe, the youtube video you wanked to didn't give you enough info to know better than our scouts?

*bleep* ridiculous. We'll win a treble next year and you'll still be talking about how we should've done better in the transfer market. Tell me more about how right you are, so long as we exclude any information that proves you wrong.

Wtf are you on about?

I referenced Carroll and Downing in regards to signing Lallana, not for the future. And the reason I referenced him to them was because of the "he will play with better players so he'll obviously become a better player at Liverpool" debate.

Sakho, Sturridge and all those names you mentioned pretty much came for consistent first team football or they wouldn't have came here.

Henderson WASN'T signed to become a first team player in his first season, he was pretty much signed for the "future" of the club. The same goes for Coutinho. Luckily enough for them both (and Liverpool, too), they got their opportunity in the starting XI and due to some fortune and luck, and became solid players for us so maintained their position in the starting formation.

The roughly 100m of players signed for the future of the club with no real first team commitments since FSG have been here are:
-Henderson
-Coates
-Allen
-Borini
-Ilori
-Alberto
-Markovic (signing is imminent)
(Origi may or may not be added here, not sure if he's signed just yet.)

Yes, they may become first team players or what not in the future, but we don't need "potential" at the club, we have a GREAT academy yet we persist in signing kids and then wondering why there's no quality in depth at the club, or why there's no one good on the bench. We're signing kids and throwing them under the bus for not being "ready".


As for Lovren:

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fc-offer-20m-lovren-7369316

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28172460

For Kono:

I never said I wanted him. I never said anything to me wanting to sign him. I said the club was crying that they couldn't afford him at the time (due to not wanting to overspend what, what, 2-3m to get a player they "desperately" wanted/needed in the dying days of the window, same goes for Salah) yet are now overspending MILLIONS over that to bring in Lallana etc. But if you insist, we can call them great negotiations, I honestly don't care. You can keep bringing up this 2 month left to go period as well, but nothing will happen. And LOL at us winning a treble this season. There's optimism, and then there's delusion ffs.

Keep trying to act like a hero though, you're doing a great job at it. Still waiting for this "quality" player we've signed, as well. ^^

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/napoli-confirm-interest-liverpool-midfielder-lucas-1456140

Napoli keen for Leiva. Watch us sell him now. Wonder how we'll replace him. Maybe Clattermole?

We've also apparently put a bid in for Ben Davies.   

Fahim89 wrote:Ok now opinions on Wilfried Bony!!!

  

Great player, but no.

We need a CF, not a poacher type. Again, we have Sturridge at the club already.

Agreed, We cant build the team around Sturridge, Not right now. Need a CF who can give you atleast 10 goals and 10 assists a season. meh

Also losing Suarez > Signing Bertrand, Lovren, Davies?, Bony.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2688688/Huw-Jenkins-slams-Liverpool-making-Wilfried-Bony-without-permission.html

lol

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/166178-lfc-statement-suarez-to-leave

Transfer table:

Ins:

Rickie Lambert - Southampton 4m
Emre Can - Bayer Leverkusen 9.75m
Adam Lallana - Southampton 23m
Kevin Stewart - Tottenham Hotspur - Free

Outs:

Luis Suarez <3 - Barcelona 75m

Armin Hodzic - Dynamo Zagreb (Undisclosed)
Yalany Baio - Released
Villyan Bijev - Released
Yusuf Mersin - Released
Michael Ngoo - Released
Craig Roddan - Released
Stephen Sama - Released
Jakub Sokolik - Released

Luis Alberto - Loan - Malaga CF

I will be pissed if we don't sign a Reus quality player now that Suarez is gone.

Why did you move Luis ffs you will suffer hard because of Messi-Neymar

I hope BR has some solid plan to cope up Suarez's loss. Looking at BR's interviews and his way of working, I am sure he must be planning something to bring in the creativity and goals of Suarez. My curiosity and thrill reached to high levels for the next season, now that we have lost Suarez. Looks like BR himself is the only marquee signing left at the club right now

I wonder could we get Walcott now that Sanchez is at Arsenal

BusterLfc wrote:I will be pissed if we don't sign a Reus quality player now that Suarez is gone.

I doubt we will, but we've seen stranger things.

Art Morte wrote:I wonder could we get Walcott now that Sanchez is at Arsenal

no