Liverpool FC Forum

[Zidane]

Man, I honestly have no idea who the hell we are going to end up with and I doubt anyone really does.  Even the "ITKs" it is crazy the amount of people we are being linked with is beginning to do my head in.  I think I might just avoid the forums until I hear something has actually happened.

[damjan193]

Man, I honestly have no idea who the hell we are going to end up with and I doubt anyone really does.  Even the "ITKs" it is crazy the amount of people we are being linked with is beginning to do my head in.  I think I might just avoid the forums until I hear something has actually happened.

Once we've signed the first player, I think that it will be easier to guess who'll come next, or what kind of player it would be at least.

[Scottbot]

Transfer window has only been open a few days so i'm not too fussed at the moment. Also, I think it's fair to say all the media speculation is scatter gun as usual. That wasn't even a mention of Henderson prior to the stories that have broke on a bid today. I suspect the club will try to resolve the Aquilani situation and ship out some of the deadwood first before spending a great deal.

[metalhead]

Transfer window has only been open a few days so i'm not too fussed at the moment. Also, I think it's fair to say all the media speculation is scatter gun as usual. That wasn't even a mention of Henderson prior to the stories that have broke on a bid today. I suspect the club will try to resolve the Aquilani situation and ship out some of the deadwood first before spending a great deal.

I really don't think we will hear anything until Comolli and all get back from their holidays. We have been linked to every player in Europe and that tells you something  

Hopefully we will hear some good news in a couple of weeks.

[metalhead]

Liverpool plan summer clearance sale to fund top-quality signings

• Milan Jovanovic heads highly paid who may leave Anfield
• Approach is made for Sunderland's Jordan Henderson

       

    Andy Hunter
    guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 June 2011 21.00 BST
   

Milan Jovanovic, who joined Liverpool from Standard Liège last July on a free transfer, is paid £120,000 a week and started only five Premier League games last season. Photograph: Michael Mayhew-Sportsphoto/Michael Mayhew

Liverpool's owner, Fenway Sports Group, is anxious to rid the club's wage bill of several expensive transfer errors this summer to maximise Kenny Dalglish's budget for "highest quality" signings.

FSG has sanctioned a substantial outlay on recruits at Anfield, with an approach having been made for Sunderland's Jordan Henderson and interest in the Aston Villa pair of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young expected to develop after their commitments with England. While FSG is willing to spend heavily on transfer fees it is, however, reluctant to increase an already inflated wage bill and wants several high-earning players to make way for the additions.

Liverpool had the fourth-highest wage bill in the Premier League in 2010 – £121m – but failed to qualify for the Champions League next season and last. FSG inherited a host of financial burdens from the previous owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and the former managers Rafael Benítez and Roy Hodgson, and faces the dual problem of needing to improve Dalglish's squad – "We want to get the highest quality of player in that we can," the Scot has said – while starting to comply with Uefa's fair play regulations.

As John W Henry, the club's principal owner, said recently: "The worst surprise [following FSG's takeover last October] was the lack of depth in the squad. Our biggest concern in taking on this responsibility was this issue and it was a bigger issue than we feared. There was a huge multi-year payroll for a squad that had very little quality depth."

The free signings Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic, for example, earn £100,000 and £120,000 a week at Liverpool respectively, although the latter's astonishing salary includes a signing-on fee payable over the first 12 months of his contract. Cole made nine Premier League starts last season and Jovanovic five. Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen and Brad Jones, who cost £5m, £4.5m and £2.3m respectively and were also part of a disastrous transfer policy last summer, are surplus to requirements too but are liable to deter potential suitors with their salaries. Philipp Degen, Nabil El Zhar and Emiliano Insúa also remain on the payroll.

Liverpool must pay a final instalment of €5m (£4.4m) to Roma for Alberto Aquilani by the end of June and must decide whether to accept a major loss on the Italian midfielder or bring him back to Merseyside after a season's loan to Juventus.

Juventus have offered only £6m for a player who will cost Liverpool a total of £17.6m, with Roma to receive 5% of any fee agreed, although the 26-year-old's agent has insisted a compromise deal is possible. Franco Zavaglia said: "All season Juventus have always given me the necessary guarantees that they want to keep Alberto. The next 24 hours will be decisive. Any eventual economic agreements will follow after Juventus make their decision. If Juventus can't do a deal for Alberto and he has to return to Liverpool, then Milan would certainly be a destination that he would accept."

The Guardian

--------------

Jovanovic is getting paid a 120,000 quid a week? I thought it was more on the line of 50k or 55k? 120k is insane

[killerp]

Liverpool plan summer clearance sale to fund top-quality signings

• Milan Jovanovic heads highly paid who may leave Anfield
• Approach is made for Sunderland's Jordan Henderson

       

    Andy Hunter
    guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 June 2011 21.00 BST
   

Milan Jovanovic, who joined Liverpool from Standard Liège last July on a free transfer, is paid £120,000 a week and started only five Premier League games last season. Photograph: Michael Mayhew-Sportsphoto/Michael Mayhew

Liverpool's owner, Fenway Sports Group, is anxious to rid the club's wage bill of several expensive transfer errors this summer to maximise Kenny Dalglish's budget for "highest quality" signings.

FSG has sanctioned a substantial outlay on recruits at Anfield, with an approach having been made for Sunderland's Jordan Henderson and interest in the Aston Villa pair of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young expected to develop after their commitments with England. While FSG is willing to spend heavily on transfer fees it is, however, reluctant to increase an already inflated wage bill and wants several high-earning players to make way for the additions.

Liverpool had the fourth-highest wage bill in the Premier League in 2010 – £121m – but failed to qualify for the Champions League next season and last. FSG inherited a host of financial burdens from the previous owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and the former managers Rafael Benítez and Roy Hodgson, and faces the dual problem of needing to improve Dalglish's squad – "We want to get the highest quality of player in that we can," the Scot has said – while starting to comply with Uefa's fair play regulations.

As John W Henry, the club's principal owner, said recently: "The worst surprise [following FSG's takeover last October] was the lack of depth in the squad. Our biggest concern in taking on this responsibility was this issue and it was a bigger issue than we feared. There was a huge multi-year payroll for a squad that had very little quality depth."

The free signings Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic, for example, earn £100,000 and £120,000 a week at Liverpool respectively, although the latter's astonishing salary includes a signing-on fee payable over the first 12 months of his contract. Cole made nine Premier League starts last season and Jovanovic five. Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen and Brad Jones, who cost £5m, £4.5m and £2.3m respectively and were also part of a disastrous transfer policy last summer, are surplus to requirements too but are liable to deter potential suitors with their salaries. Philipp Degen, Nabil El Zhar and Emiliano Insúa also remain on the payroll.

Liverpool must pay a final instalment of €5m (£4.4m) to Roma for Alberto Aquilani by the end of June and must decide whether to accept a major loss on the Italian midfielder or bring him back to Merseyside after a season's loan to Juventus.

Juventus have offered only £6m for a player who will cost Liverpool a total of £17.6m, with Roma to receive 5% of any fee agreed, although the 26-year-old's agent has insisted a compromise deal is possible. Franco Zavaglia said: "All season Juventus have always given me the necessary guarantees that they want to keep Alberto. The next 24 hours will be decisive. Any eventual economic agreements will follow after Juventus make their decision. If Juventus can't do a deal for Alberto and he has to return to Liverpool, then Milan would certainly be a destination that he would accept."

The Guardian

--------------

Jovanovic is getting paid a 120,000 quid a week? I thought it was more on the line of 50k or 55k? 120k is insane

£120,000  for Jovanovic ........

I hope that's wrong, Gerrard is on about £125,000.

[brentd4]

summer transfer targets, young, downing, nzogbia, enrique, and i cant think of a striker

[Thommo's perm]

Thought Friedel was coming here?

[The Good Yank]

Thought Friedel was coming here?

Can't blame him for wanting to keep playing 1st team football, and he can get that with Spurs.  He wasn't going to get it with us.

[Thommo's perm]

Thought Friedel was coming here?

Can't blame him for wanting to keep playing 1st team football, and he can get that with Spurs.  He wasn't going to get it with us.

True but I cant believe Arthur Daleys bought him as replacement for Gomez?

[The Good Yank]

True but I cant believe Arthur Daleys bought him as replacement for Gomez?

Probably just figured "Why Not".  A keeper on a free transfer who is better than what they have.  He just signed a top 5 (arguably) in the Prem keeper on a free transfer.

[ethanr]

True but I cant believe Arthur Daleys bought him as replacement for Gomez?

Probably just figured "Why Not".  A keeper on a free transfer who is better than what they have.  He just signed a top 5 (arguably) in the Prem keeper on a free transfer.

Friedel is a class keeper.  As an American, I didn't want him to come here because he deserves to play as a starter during the last few seasons of his career.

The one thing Americans have seemed to get right...  Keepers.

[Thommo's perm]

True but I cant believe Arthur Daleys bought him as replacement for Gomez?

Probably just figured "Why Not".  A keeper on a free transfer who is better than what they have.  He just signed a top 5 (arguably) in the Prem keeper on a free transfer.

Friedel is a class keeper.  As an American, I didn't want him to come here because he deserves to play as a starter during the last few seasons of his career.

The one thing Americans have seemed to get right...  Keepers.

They sure do have some damn fine netminders

[Kukilon]

Friedel is a class act keeper. Surprises me that no other big clubs have gone for him earlier.

[eds]

Thought Friedel was coming here?

Can't blame him for wanting to keep playing 1st team football, and he can get that with Spurs.  He wasn't going to get it with us.

True but I cant believe Arthur Daleys bought him as replacement for Gomez?

Anyone is better than Hilarious Gomes.