Liverpool FC Forum

Lee J wrote:lost my interest on the first line mate

'No warchest to buy players' - despite the club saying he'll be given £15 million + any players sales.

NEXT!

john craig wrote:

Lee J wrote:lost my interest on the first line mate

'No warchest to buy players' - despite the club saying he'll be given £15 million + any players sales.

NEXT!

When did the club say that?

Broughton or Hodgson didn't say that in the press conference.  They just said they hadn't talked about money yet but that money from players sold would be reinvested in the squad.

Cheers for the thread input though.  Next.

I read it on the media watch section of the official website (lfc.tv)

so it's probably bollox 

john craig wrote:Joe Cole and Stephen Ireland would be fantastic signings imo.  Just the type of creativity our midfield could do with.

I would also look at Santa Cruz and SWP's situations at Man City.

My fantasy signing this summer would be Ozil though.  Been a revelation at the WC and out of contract next summer.  If we generate big bucks from selling a key player then I'd go all out for this guy.  It'll never happen though

mkingdom wrote:I think Masch is as good as gone.

If Barca demanded £27.5m for Toure than Masch has to be worth more.  So for £30m+ he should go.  He is unsettled and his form was erratic last season, and he gets sent off too frequently.

Riera will go too I think, with rumours of Juventus bidding £5m as a starter.  Let him go for £7m

Benny is gone too, another £6m in the pot.

I'd keep Babel for another season.  Maybe if we play him anywhere but the left wing he might blossom.  I think Rafa forgot he was right footed, and a striker!!

So there we have over £40m.

I would target....

Joe Cole - Free to replace Riera/Benny

Stephen Ireland - £8m ish   Nowhere near the Harlem Grobetrotters first team now, and a proven Prem player.

Alonso -Yes wishful thinking I know.  He has looked absolute class in the world cup.  I'd go as far as saying if RM want Gerrard, we accept cash plus Alonso, or perhaps a similar deal for Masch.

Van Der Vart - less than £10m for sure.  Quality player.

Wayne Bridge - £6m ish.  Gives Insua a couple of years to mature and develop.

If we lose Torres, then that is whole different ball game.  He should not go for less than £50m.  Then we are looking at a whole new level of players.....

john craig wrote:The new manager is here and assuming there is no war chest to buy new players, we are probably mainly looking at selling players before buying.

Gerrard and Torres would arguably fetch the highest price, but ideally everyone would agree it's better if they stay, no matter what money their sales would generate.

So if you had to wheel and deal, who are the candidates for the chop?

Mascherano - if reports are true then he's unsettled anyway and has been for a while.  Barce have just sold Yaya Toure and there could be a place for Mascherano in Barcelona.  He's also been linked with Inter but allegedly they are unwilling to pay up the 30 mil price that has supposedly been put on him.

Glen Johnson - Allegedly generating interest from abroad, I can only assume because they haven't watched him play recently.  Awful in the world cup and his form peaked for us before Christmas last season.  I'd get rid of him.  Contrary to what the press say, he actually can defend.  His problem is concentration, in that his is poor.  He's too prone to being caught out or doing something casual.  Attacking he has no problems though and is very effective.

Babel - Is it worth keeping hold of him?  The lad clearly has talent, could a different manager's approach bring it out of him on a consistent basis?  On the other hand I think his contract is running down and if we don't sell him now I have a feeling his contract is up next summer - although I'll need to double check that.

Kuyt - Not everyone's cup of tea, but a player I like.  Still has a good reputation around Europe and even at 29 we could probably recoup the 10 mil or so we paid for him I reckon.  I'd keep him.

Aquilani - Do we give him a chance?  I think we have no choice, we'd get nowhere near the money we paid for him given his injuries and his limited appearances last season.  But if we did decide to offload we'd easily get over 10 mil for him, and in that case we might not have to pay all of the 20 mil to Roma depending on how appearance based the fee was.

Riera - Do we forgive him?  His analogy of LFC as a sinking ship wasn't far off the mark to be fair, but he publically criticised the manager at a time when we could have done without it.  I still think he's our best wide midfielder when he's on form and up for it.

Benayoun - by all accounts already gone, and for a miserly 6 million.  I hope Hodgson convinces him to stay though because although he had a poor season last year, he's often our most creative player after Torres and Gerrard.

Other fringe players may go, but none of them would generate very much cash, so it's probably down to the above list.

My own view is to get rid of Johnson if we can get a decent fee.  And if Mascherano wants to go, then let him go at the right price.  30 might be pushing it but I'd let him go for 20-25 mil.  Of course it all depends on whether Gerrard and Torres stay.  I think there's more chance of them staying than going, partly because Gerrard had such a bad season last year and he's now 30, so interest in him won't be as high as it once was, and Torres clearly hasn't recovered properly from knee surgery yet as his WC performances suggest and again interest might not be as high as when he's fully fit.  Again consider that destinations for Torres are limited.  Inter? Barce?  They're the only two clubs I could see him going to personally, I don't think he'd sign for another English side and we all know he wouldn't go to Madrid.

mkingdom wrote:I think Masch is as good as gone.

If Barca demanded £27.5m for Toure than Masch has to be worth more.  So for £30m+ he should go.  He is unsettled and his form was erratic last season, and he gets sent off too frequently.

Riera will go too I think, with rumours of Juventus bidding £5m as a starter.  Let him go for £7m

Benny is gone too, another £6m in the pot.

I'd keep Babel for another season.  Maybe if we play him anywhere but the left wing he might blossom.  I think Rafa forgot he was right footed, and a striker!!

So there we have over £40m.

I would target....

Joe Cole - Free to replace Riera/Benny

Stephen Ireland - £8m ish   Nowhere near the Harlem Grobetrotters first team now, and a proven Prem player.

Alonso -Yes wishful thinking I know.  He has looked absolute class in the world cup.  I'd go as far as saying if RM want Gerrard, we accept cash plus Alonso, or perhaps a similar deal for Masch.

Van Der Vart - less than £10m for sure.  Quality player.

Wayne Bridge - £6m ish.  Gives Insua a couple of years to mature and develop.

If we lose Torres, then that is whole different ball game.  He should not go for less than £50m.  Then we are looking at a whole new level of players.....