metalhead » Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:23 pm wrote:Eagle » Sun Jul 29, 2012 1:39 pm wrote:Aquilani supposedly picked up a knock in training so wasn’t risked against Spurs. I think that story about Fiorentina is originally from The People which is notoriously inaccurate. It looks like a rehashed story from last summer but I think Rodgers would sell given the opportunity.
ah, makes more sense
his agent rubbished reports about him anyways
Bascombe has him flying to Italy instead of back to Liverpool
And on £125 grand a week !!!!
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers aims to sell £20m Alberto Aquilani back to an Italian club
On the attack: Albert Aquilani (right) during a friendly in Toronto
Picture: AP
By Chris BascombeLast Updated: 7:08PM BST 29/07/2012
Liverpool hope they can finally offload Alberto Aquilani back to Serie A after informing the Italian he is not part of Brendan Rodgers’ plans.
Aquilani did not return to Merseyside with the rest of the Liverpool squad when they flew home from their North America tour on Saturday.
Instead, he headed to Rome to see if a deal could be struck with numerous Serie A sides, one of which is believed to be Fiorentina.
The 28 year-old, who cost Liverpool £20 million in 2009, now realises there is little chance of him reviving his career at Anfield, but offloading him is not easy because of his staggering financial package.
The Italian’s lucrative contract equates to around £6.5 million a year, an expense which has only been reduced in recent years thanks to loan deals. He spent last year at AC Milan and has also been loaned to Juventus in the past.
To put it into perspective, the £125,000 a week he is currently costing the Anfield club double what Anfield stalwart Jamie Carragher earns.
Rodgers hopes that the desire to revive his career will motivate Aquilani to seek pastures new and reduce Liverpool’s extortionate wage bill. Aquilani still has two years of a five-year contract remaining.
Rodgers left Aquilani out of the last tour game, a 0-0 draw with Tottenham in Baltimore, before giving him permission to fly to Italy instead of Merseyside.
Liverpool are unlikely to raise more than a nominal fee for Aquilani’s services when he is sold.
While Rodgers hopes Aquilani will move on, Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre is finalising a deal for Swansea City midfielder Joe Allen.
Ayre cancelled his planned trip to America for the club tour in order to continue negotiations with the Welsh club.
Despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur , Rodgers is confident Allen will not follow the example of Gylfi Sigurdsson and snub Anfield for a bigger salary at White Hart Lane.
Liverpool can seal a deal with a £15 million bid, activating a clause in Allen’s contract, but have been trying to agree a smaller fee.
Despite the likelihood of his departure before the start of the season, Andy Carroll returned to the Liverpool line-up for the friendly in Baltimore.
He may lead the line in this week’s Europa League qualifier with Belarus side FC Gomel.
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